


Smoothing Out the Edges

by Mikalah



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alien Sex, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Light Dom/sub, Oral Sex, Romance, Shower Sex, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:59:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10583121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikalah/pseuds/Mikalah
Summary: A series of smut prompts between Evfra and Sara Ryder, because there's not enough of this pairing. Some very loose plot and fluff connects all the chapters, but this is mostly smut for the sake of smut.





	1. Resistance HQ

**Author's Note:**

> Jaal/Sara are still my OTP, but this got a little out of control and I couldn't resist. In this little alt setting I just assume Jaal doesn't exist as we know him in the game, otherwise he would be far too tempting.
> 
> Characters are likely a bit OOC, and there's not really a story here. It just sort of gets the point. Enjoy the smut pairing you never knew you needed?
> 
> Sara and Evfra do some banging in resistance HQ and maybe something more blossoms in the aftermath.

Sara had been pouring over the latest Resistance briefings with Evfra for well over an hour, and the fatigue was starting to set in as daylight on Aya made way for the quiet hush of the evening. The luminescent glow of the various data pads spread out before them was starting to strain her eyes, and she felt the first pricklings of a headache deep in her skull. Even SAM somehow was starting feel restless within her consciousness, or was very likely responding to her own anxiousness but that was always a boundary that Sara may never get used to. It didn’t help that the large room in the Resistance HQ was dark – angara were nothing if not conscious about energy savings on Aya – lit only by the flittering changes of the terminals on the wall directly next to them and the datapads on the table that they were currently leaning over. Sara mused that Evfra was visibly just as done with this whole ordeal as she was, his tense posture rigid to the point that she feared he’d simply topple over like a board if she dared poke him.  
Not that she would. She’d be better off poking a fiend at this point.

“I don’t understand this…” Evfra groused, muttering to nobody in particular. His hands were in fists on the table until he used one to push aside a data pad to reveal an actual paper map of Voeld that was hidden underneath. It was complete with very detailed markings and road maps of the various resistance outposts and large, angrily scrawled x’s where they knew the kett were dug in. Sara found it remarkable that the angara still used paper of any kind. That had become kind of a rarity in the Milky Way, but she supposed that when stripped of resources and fighting a war it would have to do in a pinch. 

“I told you, the kett were far more entrenched then we were initially led to believe… it’s going to take more than just my team to get in there and disable the security protocols…” Sara stood, finally taking the time to rub at her eyes. She allowed herself the luxury of a much-needed yawn, stretching her back out to try and force some life back into her joints as she pulled her arms up behind her neck as far as they would go. 

“This gap in our intel is… troubling,” Evfra grumbled, looking at her, and it took Sara a split-second to realize that his eyes had been on parts of her that were definitely not her face, traveling up the curve of her torso with a sort of detachment as if he’d removed himself from the moment. It disappeared as quickly as she noticed it, his eyes hardening again as he met her puzzled stare with a blank face. A heated flush crept up her neck, and she was suddenly very glad that the room was dark otherwise that would have been hard to explain away to an angara, why this pale, pink creature was suddenly turning bright red in front of him. Sara opted to say nothing, instead to pretend she hadn’t noticed it at all. 

That was… _interesting_ to say the least. What surprised her more was how unbothered she was by it, unexpected as it was, and she was maybe even a bit… hopeful? Hopeful that maybe he had been checking her out?

 _Girl…you are_ thirsty.

She had to bite down the memory of multiple restless nights onboard the Tempest, waking flushed from some very naughty dreams about the resistance leader that she wouldn’t have even shared with SAM had it not already been embedded in her brain. SAM had commented on it once or twice, but Sara had explained it away as loneliness; latching onto something that wasn’t there for the sake of a little wish-fulfillment while floating through a vacuum in what really amounted to a metal tube.

_You’re seeing things that aren’t there Sara. Stop it. He’s just analyzing the difference in your body structure._

Just because the Milky Way species were comfortable with inter-species relations, that didn’t mean the angara were. And they’d have a right to be. Her and her raggedy gang were technically still an invasive species and the only other contact they’d had with aliens was currently resulting in a fight for survival. The denizens of the Milky Way were still just barely scaling higher on the trust scale with most of the angara. They had been lucky the Evfra and many of the angaran leaders had been just slightly more welcoming, but that had taken time, and a huge amount of effort on the Pathfinder team’s front.

“I uh… sure. I’m glad we found it before it got out of control. We can try and help your teams there set up additional relay points for comm channels.” She sounded way less collected than she should have, the words sort of tumbling out of her mouth as she tried to save face from herself. “…See if we can get a better read on their activities there.”

Evfra nodded, still leaned over the desk but his eyes were on her in a way that wasn’t really threatening… but questioning? He still seemed tense – he always did – but the heavy angle that was usually on his brow wasn’t there anymore. It actually made him seem softer, and if the lighting hit him just right he maybe even looked a little kind. Heavy facial scars and all, and Sara suddenly found herself wanting to gently trace her fingers down the fractured lines of his face.

“Thank you Sara,” he said, voice low, and it was a weird, rushed response that Sara had to mentally double-back to make sure she’d heard it correctly. She’d had a well-rehearsed retort on her lips before she paused, mouth hanging open mid comeback until she remembered to breathe. She had anticipated some push-back, or some argument or debate about the best possible use of resources, as was the usual discourse when she spoke to Evfra in the past. The soft confirmation, so much so that her translator almost didn’t catch it, was not what she’d prepared for.

“Oh, that’s it?” Sara questioned stupidly. She felt SAM perk up in her mind, as if the AI was trying to nudge her in a slightly more self-preserving direction. 

“Yes. Would you have preferred a spirited argument?” Evfra responded with a lilt of sarcasm, finally standing straight as he pushed himself off the table. Sara thought she detected a sly smile on his lips but it vanished quickly.

She suddenly became very aware of her close proximity to the decidedly larger angara next to her, and stars it was _doing_ things to her. He’d never referred to her by her first name before, usually calling her Pathfinder with a bite of annoyance when talking to her, but this was different. He towered over her, a bulwark of muscle and angles that in most circumstances someone in her position would have been intimidated, but Sara was feeling anything but. 

“Well we don’t typically agree…” Sara stammered, not at all expecting her hormones to suddenly punch her in the gut like a bag of bricks, but they most certainly were. Her heart was pounding in her chest, so loud in her ears that she could swear Evfra could hear her. How was angara hearing anyway? Could they detect that? Gods she hoped not, otherwise that would be one more thing to have to explain away. SAM certainly noticed, a questioning stir in her awareness that she shrugged away with a mental _I’m fine_. That must have been enough because she felt the AI settle back into its comfortable spot at the base of her neural functions.

SAM picked the right time to disappear, although Sara mused that he was likely still very aware of what was happening to her body at that moment and was probably paying close attention. For science and all that. 

The stolen glances, the playful, sometimes aggressive (but always… well-meaning) banter between them, the risqué thoughts when nobody else was around… it was all building up to some very complicated feelings that Sara was having a hard time parsing through. Standing here, in this dark, empty room with just the two of them, Evfra looming above her like a very sexy and volatile treat was starting to drown her.

“ _Sara._ ” Evfra was speaking to her, and she’d been so busy chasing her own tail in her head she hadn’t noticed. Great.

“Sorry, I was distracted. My AI was– ”

It took less than a second but Evfra was nearly on top of her, closing what little distance was between them in a heartbeat. SAM was in her head posing the most infuriating question of _what was I doing_ in response to her stupid excuse and she mentally batted him away with a promise to talk to him later. She was far too distracted by Evfra’s hand hovering close to her face, and throat, his hand was so big it really didn’t matter. She could feel the tingling pull of his bioelectrics against her skin, tugging gently at the soft hair on the outer reaches of her jawline.

“Why are you so tense?” Evfra growled, but it wasn’t aggressive. It was something else.

“I’m not,” Sara clapped back, probably more defensive than she should have, but she was feeling very wound up and getting very confused about whatever social cue Evfra was engaged in at the moment. It didn’t help that she felt completely exposed to him, head tilted all the way back with the height difference between them.

“Humans,” he grumbled, and she could feel as much as hear the deep growl that bubbled up through his chest at the mere mention of her species. “You find it so difficult to just say what it is you _want._ ” Sara’s heart did a few back-flips once she realized he had somehow managed to step closer to her. If this wasn’t an obvious signal she didn’t know what was. _Fuck, he knows._

The way he was searching her face, the bursting, icy galaxies of his eyes traveling between her lips and her drunken gaze in a way that was pretty hard to misinterpret, alien or not. She simultaneously felt so small, but _powerful_ under his gaze with the realization that he was responding to her need.

“I want you,” Sara whispered, the admission that fell out her lips was like a bubble that had been waiting to burst. 

Evfra smirked, the dangerous, almost predatory look that passed over his eyes was all the warning she had until he descended upon her with the precision of a wild hunter. She was crowded in a breathless rush against the wall, Evfra having the forethought to not slam her so recklessly against the solid surface as to cause injury, mindful of his strength. He gated her with his arms on either side, his mouth finding hers like he had been starved. It was simultaneously alien and familiar all at once, the kiss obviously something angara and humans shared in common but the energy around it was so foreign and yet so enticing. 

His tongue was blunter than a human’s, more textured but very agile. Sara eagerly returned his enthusiasm, his increased vigor and labored breath dancing across her face telling her she must have been doing something right in this exchange based additionally on a number of other things that were _butting_ into her awareness. His bioelectrics surged against her, pulling at her hair and her skin like a million buzzing zaps, vibrating in a perfect harmony that forced a needy whimper from her throat.

Sara was gasping, heart hammering in her chest as Evfra responded in kind. A low growl that pooled low in his belly rose through his chest, where it danced across his alien, exploring tongue as she allowed him full access to her mouth. Somehow in the midst of this Sara found the mental capacity to throw her arms up and around his large neck to hang on for dear life as his questing hands moved, one coming to rest at the curve of her hip and the other at the nape of her neck. He gave her hair a gentle tug, the soft, satisfied grunt from his throat revealing he quite liked that level of control, granting him further access to her mouth to deepen the kiss. 

Eventually, Evfra pulled away, perhaps sensing her need for air and needed that moment to collect himself on his own. He was nearly panting, the desperate, needy look in his eyes promising a lot more that evening than Sara had bargained for, but if the heat between her legs was evidence enough than she was more than willing. She didn’t even know yet how this was going to work, if they were even fully compatible, but she was an adventurous sort and wasn’t about to turn down this opportunity.

Evfra chuckled, a soft, breathless laugh that ghosted against Sara’s skin. “You are…” he started, swallowing thickly. He had somehow pressed himself tighter against her, a certain, familiar piece of anatomy currently saying hello to her stomach and Sara felt herself clench in response. “ _Immensely_ frustrating…” the last word was such a growl that Sara barely understood it in her arousal-addled brain.

“Oh?” was all she managed, finding the courage to slide one of her hands down the mantle that framed his face. It was soft, smooth, but firm under her palm and she thought she detected the slight quivering of muscle underneath responding to her touch. She thought that Evfra might be trembling once her hand came to rest at the protruding portion of his chest. She could feel his heart beating rapidly against her and her excitement swelled.

Evfra moved quickly, his face dipping low into the hollow of her throat, nosing her head to the side to grant himself better access to her skin. The hand that had been at the back of her neck slid back to its previous position against the wall. Sara moaned, simultaneously suppressing the giggle that nearly followed as his tongue experimentally dragged against the soft skin of her neck, sliding against her pulse point where her erratic heartbeat was all the more obvious to him. He rumbled a pleased sound against her, his mouth opening to speak.

“Time and again…” A sharp, but pleasant nip at the base of her throat as Evfra gently bit down, soothing her skin with a soft swipe of his tongue. Sara squirmed, the heat rising in her. “You prove yourself a friend to my people…” his voice was downright dangerous, breath against her ear. He tugged at her soft flesh, teeth gentle on her skin. Sara whimpered, reflexively grinding her hips against him in an effort to relieve the tension. This earned a satisfied grunt from him in the process, his mouth coming down onto the base of her throat hard to suppress the needy groan that nearly escaped him.

“And every time I want you more.” Evfra came back around to her mouth, hovering close enough to her that their breaths mingled. He looked completely wrecked, almost desperate, and dangerous in all the best ways.

Sara could get used to having this kind of power over Evfra de Tershaav.

Feeling brave, Sara slid her hand that had been resting on his chest down low, pausing just above his waist where she let her palm lay flat against his hip. She saw the split-second on his face where Evfra nearly lost all sense but quickly regained his fragile control, his face dipping low against her again as if to recapture her in a kiss but he paused just out of reach. Their foreheads were touching. Evfra was either very concerned, or _very interested_ in where her hand was going.

“You could have just asked,” Sara said, pitching her voice low and quiet. She was fairly confident that she knew enough about angara biology to not completely fuck this up, at least not yet. “I thought you were so forthcoming about your feelings…” she teased, allowing herself that little luxury if only to see what it would do to him. She slid her palm ever further down, not quite ready yet to give him that satisfaction.

“ _Sara_ ,” he warned. If he had more to say he simply didn’t. He couldn’t, as Sara chose that moment to lean up again into a kiss. This time slow and chaste. She moved her lips against his, caressing the softness of them and he returned the tenderness in kind. It was actually… sweet. The frequency of his bioelectrics had even softened to a gentle, pleased hum that sort of enveloped her body like a comforting field. She wanted to take it slow, and let the moment linger because something extraordinary was happening between them in that moment and she wanted to drink in every last second of it. 

Finally, Sara didn’t want to torture him any longer, and she was starting to grow impatient. Evfra had shown remarkable restraint up until this point but she could tell that feeble control was wearing incredibly fast. With their lips still together Sara slowly slid her hand further down, a happenstance that Evfra most definitely noticed because he suddenly got very still. She paused for a moment, suddenly fearing that he was actually concerned and maybe she was making stupid assumptions, but after that beat of hesitance she felt Evfra’s hand leave the wall near her face and rest upon her own near his groin.

Oh… she was getting the hint. He was urging her further, guiding her hand down to the generous tent he was already making in what angara considered tactical legwear. Okay this she was on board with: his unabashed bluntness about what he wanted in the moment and he had no trouble communicating it. Once he was satisfied that she understood he removed his hand from her own to rest it back against her face.

Tentatively, Sara stroked what was already proving to be pretty familiar to her, following the hardening line of his shaft underneath his clothing. This earned her a startled grunt from the angara, followed by a hiss against her mouth as he pulled at her lower lip with his teeth. It didn’t take words to tell her that this was approval. Both his hands had moved low on her hips, pressing into her softness with urgency. Sara slid her hands against him one, two more times, adding a firmer touch and he bucked his hips in the direction of her ministrations, a quick surge of excited energy snapping pleasantly against her skin at the contact.

“Fuck.” he muttered, and the very blunt, expletive nearly made Sara laugh, but she held it in. She wriggled her hips against him, underneath his trembling hands on her, and gave him a light squeeze which earned her another snarl and litany of expletives. His hands dove up under her shirt, sliding up her back and tracing her spin. He pulsed, the energy rippling through him like a wave. It tickled her skin and made her warm 

They were a tangle of wrapped, shaking limbs, sweating (Sara noted that apparently angara sweat, that was new, but most definitely not unpleasant). Evfra was watching her with what Sara could only describe as the basest hunger she had ever seen, but tinged with a frustration that was so very him. _How dare this irritating, arrogant alien do this to him?_ His pupils were nearly dilated to the size of dinner plates, engulfing the shocking blue of his eyes with bottomless black. It made him look nearly primal. His heated, intense gaze was her undoing, the moisture and warmth between her legs was reaching levels of unbearable that she’d never experienced before.

A question hung between them, and Sara opened her mouth to speak but Evfra spoke first.

“Sara. _I want you._ ” So direct. Sara smiled, shifting into him.

“I thought you’d never fucking ask.” Evfra hesitated. Maybe he didn’t understand her. “YES!” She all but shouted at him, pulling him into her and wasting no time as she clumsily attempted to wrap her leg around his waist. His unique lower half made that difficult and she found herself sliding off his thigh ungracefully, huffing against his chest while his hands had been moving to free her of her shirt.

Evfra paused, a deep chuckle rolled against her.

“I have an idea,” he said, a promise in his voice as he wrapped his hands around her ass and lifted her off the ground in one single, fluid motion. It was no effort whatsoever as he gathered her in his arms. She finally found purchase as she all but draped herself over his shoulders, her legs comfortably wrapping around his waist as he turned to guide them towards his desk. 

In no time he sat her down, simultaneously shoving datapads and maps out of the way, many of them clattering to the floor making Sara wince with a giggle. Evfra didn’t seem to care, more focused then on parting her thighs and positioning himself between them.

His hand came up to touch her face then, the same tingling pull needy and wanting at her skin. She sighed, tilting her face towards his touch almost instinctively. _What in the heavens is happening to me?_

“Sara,” Evfra was speaking again, his voice a low growl in the silence of the room. She loved the sound of her name on his tongue. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” His accent had thickened in his arousal, heavy and rolling with need and lust. Yet, he was asking for her consent, making sure she was still enthusiastic about whatever it was they were doing here.

That moment Sara realized she was a little bit terrified, but that was strangely erotic. The _new_ and _exciting_ of this encounter was thrilling, like a dangerous little secret between them. Yet, she had no idea what she was doing, or how this was going to work. She didn’t know if Evfra did either, but he seemed eager enough to move forward with this.

In the hushed silence of the room, the light from the terminals next to them bathing them in a myriad of colors, Sara reach forward to lay a palm on Evfra’s chest. She met the glow of his gaze, but where it was normally calculating and stern, there was only trust and acceptance. 

“I want to do this,” Sara said quietly, licking her lips to try and calm her nerves. Evfra’s eyes followed the motion, stirring something warm between her legs when he shifted anxiously. She tentatively pawed at his front, bringing both hands up to smooth against his protruding chest, trying to work out how exactly to get him out of his clothes. He seemed to get her meaning as he met her hands at his sternum, sliding past hers up to the heavy wrapped fabric at his neck. He hurriedly removed the draped article of clothing off his shoulders, pulling it taut between both of his hands as he eyed her thoughtfully, like he was coming up with possible uses for said cloth.

Lazily he dropped it to the side, where it fell heavily to the floor, with perhaps a mental note for later. His shoulders and neck were now exposed, allowing Sara the opportunity to trace the smooth mantle that framed his face and trailed down his chest where it disappeared below his thick shirt. He followed her gaze, then motioned towards her body.

“Off,” he snarled. It was a firm command, but the look in his eyes suggested something other than hostility. “Your clothing.”

Sara did as she was asked, quickly removing her hands from Evfra’s chest to slip her shirt over her head. Her dark hair fell over her bare shoulders and she shuddered at the touch. He was watching her with a quiet appraisal that made her blush. She must have looked so strange to him, and suddenly she felt herself start to go red again. Unconsciously her arms moved to cover her breasts but Evfra stopped her with firm hands on her wrists. He sidled up closer to her pulling her arms toward him and away from her own body.

“I’ve never stripped in front of an alien before,” she offered quietly with a small smile, expecting Evfra to express some form of disgust or annoyance, but instead he gave her a softly concerned look.

“You stopped being an alien to me some time ago.” He offered in encouragement. Sara was honestly surprised to hear him say that, considering his people had been fighting a war against the kett for decades. “Consider this a perfectly normal activity between two people who are attracted to one another.”

Oh. That admission made Sara feel something that she wasn’t expecting to feel. On some level she knew that all of this wouldn’t really have been happening without Evfra showing some sort of interest in her, but part of her wondered if it had just been sheer curiosity, or just a purely physical need and she was a convenient outlet. A dalliance with her could more easily be kept a secret or explained away. Instead, he was admitting to actually finding her appealing, which was something she’d never had a hard time admitting for him. There was just something about the Resistance leader that had been enticing to her from the moment they’d met: his fire, intensity, and his genuine lack of a filter when it came to expressing his opinions. While his frankness and inability to not share what was on his mind had always been so inherently Evfra while also being characteristically angaran, Sara always felt that he was hiding something just underneath the exterior that nobody could reach. That made her want to know him more; to care for him. 

She wanted so badly to know him. In body and in spirit.

“I’m honestly at a loss for how this is going to work,” Sara laughed nervously. “I don’t even know if we’re compatible in that way… although…” she couldn’t help her gaze from slipping back towards his groin, the prominent outline of something familiar there somehow appearing larger from this position. “It would seem that we are.”

Evfra chuckled, the sound a light rumble in his throat as he slowly lifted his hands and began to peel off his gloves. He clearly noticed her staring, because he had a dark, enticing look in his eye.

“I’m confident we will work.” One glove was removed, and it joined the growing pile on the floor. There was a finality in his voice that told her he knew something. “I must confess, I have acquainted myself with human...sexual activities,” the last words—so clinical in nature—came out in a near whine, the lust rising from low in his belly. The second glove was gone, and Sara set to work on helping remove the harness that was wrapped around his torso. The clasps looked familiar enough. She didn’t even give it a second thought that he’d just admitted to looking up human sex at some point and what the implications of that were.

Evfra’s bare hands were on her, and Sara didn’t know what she’d expected his hands to feel like. Maybe hard and calloused, like those of a warrior or someone who’d seen hard labor. Instead, they were soft, warm, and she detected the faintest tingle of vibration against her shoulders where his palms met her skin. A resurgence of warmth hit her core, thoughts of other areas where he could do whatever it was he was doing.

His palms slid down the curve of her breasts, one hand coming to rest at her sternum past her collar bone while the other slid to the side to hook underneath her bra strap. He tugged, testing the elastic band with a finger before letting it snap back against her skin.

“Hey!” Sara yelped, finally freeing him of the various straps on his chest. He shrugged out of them with ease. 

“What is this thing? Get it off Sara.” He was actually laughing. Her bra was so absurd to him.

Sara blushed, suppressing a giggle as she wrapped her hand around to her back, the other hand never leaving Evfra’s body. She found the hooks that would free her from her bra and unclasped them, letting the supporting article loosen from her body. Her breasts settled a little lower on her chest, and she allowed herself a soft sigh of contentment.

Until it was yanked unceremoniously from her body, slipping out of her arms while she was jerked forward against him. Almost immediately he was cupping her breasts with his hands, leaning her away from him as he gave them a light squeeze.

“So romantic,” Sara smirked, lolling her head to the side at the feel of his warmth on her skin. She leaned back a little more, bracing herself on his table with her arms spread out behind her. He was testing her out, watching her reactions carefully to his cautious touches and tugs, and she responded by wrapping her legs tighter around his waist. She felt something twitch against her down there, and that sent another jolt of fire down the apex of her thighs.

“If I’m not mistaken,” Evfra mumbled, his thumbs sliding further into the center of her mounds. “This is where they are most sensitive.” The pad of his thumbs dragged across her nipples, already going taut with her own arousal as she elicited a very pleased moan. He slid his thumbs down for a second pass, rolling the peaks under his finger, seemingly urged on by Sara’s soft sighs and whimpers of delight. Suddenly Sara felt a sharp _zap_ snap against her hardened peaks, causing her to cry out with a mixture of pleasure and surprise. 

Evfra, clearly pleased with himself, smirked knowingly at her. “Good?”

“Yes,” Sara said breathlessly, never in a million years thinking that a mild shock of bioelectricity would heighten a sexual experience. But here she was, learning new things every day in this strange new galaxy. Pathfinding, indeed.

She was enjoying herself, but she was also growing impatient. The moisture and tingling need between her thighs was becoming unbearable. Evfra wasn’t done, leaning over her to find her soft throat with his mouth again, leaving a trail of lingering kisses down her collarbone, onto the soft swell of her breasts before pulling one hardened nipple into his mouth. 

Sara had to suppress a scream, the swirling of his tongue like a hot whip of fire against her sensitive flesh. Not knowing what else to do, she gripped the back of his head, finding purchase underneath one of the vented grooves that ran down the back of his skull. Encouraged, Evfra continued his efforts by transferring to her other breast, suckling lightly with his thumb providing attention on the other. Another sharp zap danced across her skin and Evfra was humming with delight. The vibration of it drove Sara wild, and she ground her hips against the bulge of his cock between them, drawing out a throaty moan from the angara. 

He pulled away from her with a light pop, his saliva cooling quickly against her skin as his hands went urgently to her hips. He gripped her, one hand sliding forward to cup her between her thighs, feeling the warmth and tension there. Sara was so, so sensitive and wound up, grinding into his hand while he seemed to be watching her with a look of wonder on his face, his eyes dark and heavy with urgency.

“Extraordinary,” was all he muttered, before moving his hand upward again to set to work on the buttons of her pants. He fumbled with them for a bit, growing frustrated, but Sara came to his rescue and began the task of removing the final barrier of clothing. Evfra took that moment to hurriedly remove his thickly padded shirt. Sara didn’t even have the mind to watch how he removed it in order to catalogue that away. She was too busy being locked into his eyes while she wriggled herself out of her pants past her ass, where they dangled just under the knee. Once Evfra was free of his shirt he pulled off her boots and her pants followed immediately after. Both articles of clothing were dumped carelessly on the floor.

Sara finally had a second to actually look at the angara, to see how he was all put together. All of his skin was the same soft blue, glimmering in the flickering lights of the terminals in the dark. He was all rigid muscle and structure, his chest protruding out slightly following a line from his crown and down the sides of his head. The shape retreated towards his shoulder, where his body tapered down to a narrowed, sculpted waist. A number of scars peppered his body, remnants of his past that probably sooner wanted to forget and Sara had to stop herself from touching them. 

“You’re beautiful,” she murmured, realizing it was probably a stupid thing to say, but if Evfra cared, he didn’t bother to comment. Sara was about to mention the fact that his pants were still on but her words caught in her throat as soon as Evfra hurriedly placed his hand between her legs, other hand at the small of her back to pull him towards her. 

A low, pleased growl escaped him. It was almost a purr, as his thumb and forefinger parted her lips to expose her opening. Sara gasped as she felt his finger press against her entrance, wasting no time in finding it, but still hesitating just at the edge as if he still wanted to make sure. She managed to nod at him, the action so mindless and urgent because he’d dragged his thumb up to find her clit, already swollen and sensitive. Sara managed to gasp out a wordless encouragement, urging her hips forward to draw his finger in, but he seemed content to remain where he was.

Then he started to vibrate.

Sara nearly fell flat on the desk, her arms almost giving out beneath her as the rippling pulses lapped at every nerve ending between her thighs. With her eyes squeezed shut she had no idea what sort of look was on Evfra’s face, but she imagined that he must have been watching her very carefully. She didn’t care. The way his hand between her thighs rocked carefully against her, his grip at the small of her back tightened to the point that the tips of his fingers were digging into her skin, told her all she needed to know. His thumb ran up and down the hood of her clit, massaging the delicate bundle of flesh underneath the constant thrumming pulse of his energy. Sara nearly came completely undone when he finally dove his finger into her channel, grunting a satisfied moan as she practically welcomed him in. 

Evfra was at her throat again, simultaneously pulling her further into him as his finger sunk all the way home. Sara choked back a moan, was cut off when Evfra’s mouth was on hers once more. The kiss was sloppy, breathless, and rushed, with Sara’s whole body on fire while he continued his pulsing assault between her thighs. The unfurling pleasure low in her belly was beginning to come undone underneath Evfra’s rather skilled attentions. Based on the way he was angling his hips toward her she knew he was getting off on it too. 

“I…” Sara started, her words nearly a sob as she managed to part from his mouth. Evfra twisted his wrist, flattening his palm against her clit while his finger curled inside her, almost beckoning.

“Come for me Sara. I want to watch you shatter,” his words were fierce, guttural, and his voice alone would have been enough to do her in at that moment. Sara tightened the grip of her thighs around his waist as one more perfectly positioned curl of his finger hit her just so, and she completely fell apart around him, the orgasm so fast and intense her vision nearly blacked out. His finger remained, allowing her to ride out the final waves of her completion as her walls contracted around him. Once Sara stilled, Evfra pulled his hand away, slowly, allowing her to savor those final sensations before being bereft of him inside her. There were other things he could fill her with yet. 

She was only just coming down from her high, thighs going slack, trembling as her legs dangled off the table. Evfra was immediately parting her thighs again, further than before, and through her hazy afterglow she realized that somehow he had freed himself from the confines of his pants in record time. She could now see him in all his angaran glory, and if she had been worried before, she was thankful to note she had no reason to be. It was most certainly a cock she could work with.

It was long and smooth, pulling straight forward where it bobbed with Evfra’s urgent movements as he worked to gain entrance to her. It was the same color as the rest of his skin, a touch darker, but thick and very solid like the curving hood around his face. There was a prominent ridge that ran down the underside, a slight rippling at the base, but only a curved, smooth head at the tip where it was already wet with his own fluids. Sara was on the move to take him into her hand, but he pressed her down onto the table, palm flat on her belly as his other hand took his cock to guide himself to her entrance. Just the mass of it in his own hand made her mouth water and her already sensitive cunt twitch with anticipation. 

Not knowing what else to do with her shaking legs, Sara wrapped them back around Evfra’s waist, noting that the angara seemed to be trembling—anticipation, excitement, or maybe a little bit of fear. He leaned over her again, bracing himself against the table while the other hand positioned himself against her. His eyes shuttered blissfully as he stroked his tip up and down her folds, parting her with the head of his cock now moist with a mixture of her own fluids and his. Sara marveled at his expression, the way his lips parted softly, eyes closed and brow loose and relaxed as he slowly slid inside her. Her head fell back against the desk as she felt him gain entrance, slipping inside her almost embarrassingly easy while filling her so completely. 

Evfra stilled, finding himself inside her to the hilt, their bodies pressed tight against the other. He angled his hips just so, the motion almost lifting Sara off the table as his cock inside her pressed against her outer walls. With his hand now free, he transferred his grip to her hips, both hands finding purchase at the curve of her pelvic bone where he held on tightly. His fingers dug into the fattier flesh, giving himself leverage as he began to move his hips in earnest against her.

The feel of him all but knocked the air and sense out of Sara, the very mass of his alien cock filling her almost too perfectly. Evfra’s first few experimental strokes were drawn out and deliberate, followed by a brief pause when he stilled, a harsh, rattling breath escaping him in a hiss. Perhaps, he had not been expecting how she would feel, the texture of her walls pulling at every inch of flesh in such a way that he was immediately dumbstruck and overwhelmed. The way he pulsed and angled inside her was almost surreal, and Sara could swear that she could almost feel him vibrating again, this time his entire body all the way through the length of him buried inside her. 

Sara ran her hands up his arms to rest on his straining biceps, lovingly stroking him with encouragement. She shifted her hips into him in a light to-and-fro motion, the slightest drag and pull of him inside her made him open his mouth in a wordless cry. Evfra finally looked down at her, opening his eyes to look so deep into her own he may as well have looked deep into her soul. The way the black of his pupils swallowed everything else was nearly otherworldly. They shared several labored breaths, then Evfra began to move again.

Each movement of his hips against her was blinding. Sara’s nerves were once again on fire in nearly no time, every back and forth of his straining member stoking the flames of pleasure that were slowly building inside her. Sara had her arms lazily draped around his neck, at least as far as they could go, pulling Evfra ever further into her with each passing thrust of his hips. His movements were careful, controlled, as if he was holding back, but deliberate in execution as each stroke stimulated every inch of their connection. He was nearly panting, a desperate, moaning cry forced from his throat when Sara urged him into her deeper with her feet dangling just past his ass. She marveled in how the normally stern, unfaltering resistance leader was coming so undone above her.

A well-executed snap of his hips against her forced a scream from Sara, tapering off into a drawn-out whimper of delight when Evfra clamped a hand over her mouth—there were still resistance members in the building outside his door, a fact that Sara had conveniently forgotten in the heat of the moment. If this had bothered Evfra he didn’t show it, choosing that moment to quicken the pace of his thrusts with a renewed sense of urgency, his previous control unraveling.

The subtle show of dominance he had shown in that moment had excitement building in Sara’s loins once again with a new ferocity, already so overly stimulated and sensitive that it took nearly no effort. When Evfra removed his hand from her mouth she pulled him towards her again in another heated kiss. He responded with the same ferocity as his pounding hips, their mouths crashing against one another’s as he removed a hand from her hip to find purchase in her hair. His thrusts were becoming erratic, hurried and desperate so she knew he was nearing the end.

For the second time that night Sara tumbled over the edge, her back arching into Evfra as the pulsing waves of pleasure crashed over her one after the other. Evfra’s hand in her hair tightened as her walls clamped down on him, still urgently pushing inside of her, near frantic as she milked him to his completion. He broke the kiss first, burying his face into her throat with a deep, growling moan as he pumped once, twice more before erupting inside her. She felt a warm, pleasantly tingling fluid fill her as his cock throbbed and jerked in the aftershocks of his release. Evfra nearly broke apart as he all but collapsed on top of her body, his hips still grinding against hers to draw out every last twitching flash of pleasure as he rode out his own climax. His bioelectrics seemed to surge at the apex of the moment, enveloping them both in a pulsing wave before crashing around them with a loud crack.

When Sara had arrived on Aya earlier that day to meet with Evfra, she would have never imagined that the evening was going to end with him fucking her on his desk.

They remained like that for several more moments, coming down from their joined high in a tangled mass of trembling, sweat-slicked bodies. Evfra was panting, each heaving breath a grunt as he blew hot air against her neck. Sara could feel his heartbeat straining against his chest against her, mingling with her own throbbing pulse. Eventually, his weight became too much on her as he started to go slack with exhaustion. He was slightly doubled over using both the desk and her body for leverage, but Sara wasn’t built to accommodate so much mass.

Sara shifted under him, and Evfra stirred, lifting himself off her with arms that were almost too shaky to support his own weight. They were still joined down below, lingering in their shared intimacy, still twitching and throbbing as their bodies recovered. He placed a series of small kisses on her jaw line, trailing up to her mouth where they shared one final, almost lazy kiss before Evfra finally sighed.

Reluctantly Evfra pulled away first, carefully uncoupling himself from her with a soft pop that made them both chuckle at the raw ungracefulness of it all. Sara unwrapped her legs from him, letting them fall off the edge of the table as she positioned her arms to lift herself to a sitting position. She suddenly felt very aware of herself and unsure, her lack of confidence clearly not shared by the angara who was now lightly rubbing at her thighs as if to lovingly coax feeling back into them.

Finally Evfra broke the silence, his eyes slipping downwards onto his desk where they had just previously been joined.

“Ah,” he said, a little breathless, but his upturned mouth betrayed any attempt he may have made to hide his sarcasm. “You’ve made a mess right here on my table.” He quipped, and Sara squirmed, suddenly uncomfortable and hurriedly moving to cover herself in embarrassment. Evfra chuckled, quickly scooping Sara up so that she was wrapped around him once again, his softening member unabashedly trapped between them.

“You are a beautiful creature,” he murmured into her throat, pulling her ever tighter against him as if to drive the point home. Sara blushed, and found herself smiling, now hyper aware of what they had just done, and maybe what it had possibly meant, the constant reminder of it coating her inner thighs with a fizzling warmth. She felt content. More content than she’d felt since first waking after her 600 year slumber.

“You aren’t so bad yourself,” Sara responded, and while it occurred to her that it may have sounded like a joke she knew she hadn’t really meant it that way.

“I know,” Evfra grunted, seeming to regain his breath. He slid her down the length of his body to return her to the floor. Sara swayed, taking a moment to find her footing as her legs felt like jelly. Evfra gave her a proud look, seemingly pleased with his handiwork. Sara wrinkled her nose at him, mock disgust at his candor while simultaneously helping him to return some dignity by adjusting his pants.

They spent the next few moments cleaning up and dressing one another, although it was mostly Evfra dressing her as she’d been decidedly less clothed throughout the whole encounter. They shared the silence, words not really being necessary in that moment. The soft touches and caresses as skin gave way back to fabric more than enough. If Sara had doubts in the few moments after their shared ecstasy, they were soon washed away.

Eventually, Evfra’s softer expression turned grim again, the reality of the war being raged in the galaxy all around them seeming to set back in. He closed his eyes, running a finger down the flattened plane of his noise with a ragged sigh. The man looked tired, and like he was carrying the weight of an entire people on his shoulders. He was, in fact, and Sara was determined as ever to help him.

“I should probably go,” Sara finally said, not wanting to linger too long, knowing that Evfra was a busy man and probably had more important business to attend to. She certainly had a mountain of tasks on her plate that weren’t going to finish themselves. “Lexi is probably going to lose her mind if I don’t get back soon,” Sara said, thinking fondly of the asari back on the Tempest. Then a thought struck her. “Wait… you didn’t ask Lexi about human sex, did you?”

Evfra looked down at her, something close to hesitance on his face.

“I may have.”

“Wow,” Sara said, flushing. “So Lexi is going to know, great.”

“Would that be so terrible?” Evfra asked, and it dawned on Sara that her flippant comment had probably sounded insensitive.

“No!” She corrected. “Sorry… it’s not that. We’re not quite as open about things like that… and I’m stuck in a ship with a nosey crew and—“

“I was discreet Sara,” Evfra stopped her babbling, but he was anything but upset. He seemed entertained. He wasn’t stupid, he’d been around her and other members of her crew often enough to know that the angaran freedom of expression was not as easily forthcoming to the people from the Milky Way.

“You say that now,” Sara said, smiling lightly as she gave him a gentle push on the chest. “I’m sure the entirety of the resistance probably heard us.” He didn’t even sway, or appear bothered by this, but took the opportunity to take her hand again. 

“When you are back on Aya,” Evfra began, and with a hopefulness Sara knew what was coming. “I will hope to see you so that we may…” he motioned to the table, as if a visual prop was needed. “…Do this again. If you’ll have me of course.” The expression on his face betrayed the fact that he was confident enough to know that her answer would be yes. 

“I think I can make time for you Evfra de Tershaav.”

Sara was going to have a lot to explain to SAM later.


	2. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, more Evfra/Sara smut incoming, so I've decided to expand on it a little bit.
> 
> A little bridge between smut scenes. Evfra sends Sara a message after their encounter. Sara feels conflicted over what transpired between them and admits that she know finds that she wants more than a fling. A brief conversation with SAM ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with regard to what it takes in terms of travel between star systems in the cluster. I imagine it's not instantaneous, even at FTL travel, but I admit I didn't look too closely at the codex in this regard. Let's just assume we're talking hours between star systems, the length of time depending on how far away the destination is.

It had been nearly a day since Sara’s encounter with Evfra, having left Aya almost reluctantly to return to Voeld. She’d left Resistance HQ that evening with her eyes to the ground, hoping beyond hope that the angara she passed on the way out had not heard what had transpired between her and their leader in his private office. It took all her willpower not to cover her face as she’d left, knowing that she looked a sorry state and like she’d just run a marathon, but if they knew they probably would have said nothing. Sara reasoned that angara just weren’t that modest about sex, or, the alternative being they wouldn’t dare question Evfra’s choices to begin with.

Sara was having a private battle with herself, sitting at her email terminal in her quarters on the Tempest. They had another few hours of travel left, and not much else to do in the meantime, so Sara had used the opportunity to catch up on some quiet time. When she’d returned to the ship before leaving the angaran city, her crew didn’t let on that they knew what she’d been up to and she wasn’t about to tell them. She didn’t even truly know what _it_ was. The only real exception, much to Sara’s chagrin, was Lexi, who’d lingered a little too long on her face with a studious expression before turning to retreat into the medbay.

SAM however, had immediately started questioning her, but at least had the common sense to wait until she was in her quarters and away from prying eyes and ears. That had been a discussion she’d never thought she’d have with an AI before.

In a more discreet area of Sara’s communication channels, her email inbox was noticeably quiet. She didn’t immediately hear from Evfra, and that stung a little bit more than she’d thought it would. It wasn’t that she’d been expecting much (really, how desperate did she need to be to think that he’d immediately message her), reluctant to label their encounter as anything other than something they’d both needed in the moment. Yet, he’d expressed interest in seeing her again, and by all accounts it was obvious what he’d meant at the time, but Sara wondered if she was reading into it more than she should have been.

Rational sense told her that she shouldn’t feel this… _attachment_ to him now; a fondness that blossomed when sharing an intimate moment with someone you cared about. Least of all, it just shouldn’t be Evfra that she was feeling this way about now. Inter-species relationships were not odd to her, but this, seemed new and different and somehow unthinkable. This was a new galaxy, a species separated by millions of lightyears of vastly different experiences in an entirely separate corner of the universe with nearly nothing in the way of a shared connection. Coming together should have been met with further challenges and hurdles to jump over, but it had somehow _worked_ so seamlessly. They had simply worked, far better than she would have ever expected. Sara should have been wary about the whole thing, but all she could think about now was how perfect those moments had felt. Why did it feel so _normal?_

Sara had never meant to fall for him. She could never expect him to return those feelings. He had the survival of his people to worry about, many, many eyes looking to him for guidance and protection in the madness that was Heleus. It was selfish of Sara to think he had more room in himself for her, despite how much she might have wanted it now. The simpler part of her was just now figuring out that all her private fantasies and wandering thoughts about him that had led her to that moment were the beginnings of something more. Selfishly, she wanted his enthusiastic reciprocation to mean that he wanted something too. It didn’t help that he’d all but asked her to see him again on Aya.

Evfra’s cold, calculating exterior made it always difficult to read him. To really see what he was walling off from everyone around him would be to truly know him, and in some way that had drawn Sara to him. He was a mystery that she wanted to solve, so enchanted by the strength and conviction he exuded despite his past pain that she couldn’t have helped her fascination from the start. Yet, her desire was not to _fix_ him. Whatever had broken him was a part of who he was, and she wanted him to embrace it and welcome it, if only to find some peace in the madness.

Ultimately Sara knew she wasn’t going to pursue him against her baser desires. If he wanted her; if he had a place for her in his heart, she would let him come to her. Trying to push and shove her way in would only close him off more, and that wasn’t what she wanted. Sara knew though, that simple casual encounters were not really what she wanted, and eventually she would be looking for something more… meaningful.

To make all these matters worse, Evfra had finally sent her a message to further throw a wrench in Sara’s feelings. It had been brief, very to the point, but there had been a lot more meaning beneath the surface that had taken her some time to unpack.

So here Sara sat, having just read through the message from Evfra thinking it over in her head. Part of her had felt a flutter of hope at hearing from him, but the more logical part of her knew that Evfra could have been saying a great deal less than the way she was reading it.

_To: Sara Ryder  
From: Evfra de Tershaav_

_Sara,_

_I am sorry for my lack of contact since you left Aya. I regret that it may have given you the impression that I lacked further thought for what happened between us. There were a number of needs I had to attend to elsewhere, and I was prevented from having the time to write any personal correspondence._

_Despite my lack of attention to you, I am comfortable sharing with you that our time together has left a lasting impact on my mind. It has been difficult to think of anything but you, which has proven to present a number of challenges when I am surrounded by my subordinates._

_It has been some time since I have felt free enough to express my emotions, dear Sara, and I fear I may not be able to wait until you are next on Aya to experience that comfort again._

_Evfra_

On the surface the message was heartfelt, and far more personal than previous correspondence she’d had with the resistance leader. That had her hopeful in a number of ways, but cynically Sara knew that he could have simply been talking about the sex and nothing more: the excitement and thrill of it, with an alien no less. The experience was as new to him as it was to her, having only shared such intimacy with a few humans in her past. She’d like to think that Evfra saw her as more than that at this point but it could be wishful thinking.

“SAM,” Sara intoned. The AI stirred, and she felt it’s presence enter her awareness. Sara would never get used to having these seemingly one-sided conversations with a complex series of code in her head. “I just want to run something by you. I’m thinking of sending Evfra a brief response back but I want to keep it casual.” At least SAM had a visual component on her desk that she could speak to without feeling like she was talking to no one.

“You do not want to encourage the angaran’s affections.” SAM replied, and it was more of a statement than a question. It didn’t quite hit the mark, and Sara made a face.

“No, it’s not that. If I’m distracting him, I don’t want to further press the issue by sending him something equally… heartfelt… because that will make things worse.” Sara paused, thinking carefully. “I also don’t want to sound too desperate and would rather give Evfra the chance to figure out what he wants on his own. If I create some distance and he’s just enamored with the moment he might snap out of it for his own good.” She didn’t particularly _want_ to do it, but she’d feel guilty if she somehow made him feel obligated.

“That is a logical decision. However, I detect that is not the option that you find satisfactory.”

“No…” Sara frowned. “I’m confused SAM. I thought my feelings for him would pass after we just _did it_ … but they haven’t. It’s like I’m pining for him.” If SAM didn’t understand that reference he didn’t comment on it. “It’s silly, but a simple attraction has turned into something a little more complex.”

“I do not understand. You do not have conscious control of your feelings.”

“Oh SAM… it’s complicated.” Sara said. She sighed, bringing her knees up to her chin in her chair. She swiveled a bit, thinking carefully. She didn’t want a response to be cold. Clearly communicating in this way was difficult for Evfra, but he was comfortable enough speaking to her to show it. She didn’t want to seem as if she didn’t value his openness and what it meant for him.

Sara clicked to respond to the message, typing in her reply slowly. 

_To: Evfra de Tershaav  
From: Sara Ryder_

_Evfra,_

_It’s good to hear from you. I have been thinking about you a lot too, and I’m looking forward to returning to Aya._

Sara paused, wondering if even that was too much. She continued.

_We’ll be on Voeld in a few hours, but by the time you read this we may already be there. It would be good to stay in contact with you so that you can help coordinate the mission to secure additional comm relays._

_It’s going to be hard to stay warm on Voeld, but I will endeavor to try._

_Sara_

“What do you think SAM?” Sara queried to open air.

“I suspect that the last line may be construed as innuendo.” The AI said, and Sara smirked, feeling smug.

“More like, an invitation if he wants to read it that way.” Nobody said she couldn’t be vague and still put in opportunities for Evfra to back away if he needed space. “I don’t expect he’d come all the way to Voeld just to see me though. He’s got enough to worry about on Aya.”

“You did not want to appear as if you were neglecting the content of his message. I understand, Sara.”

Sara nodded reflexively, despite not really needing to for SAM’s benefit, but it was a habit. SAM had become real enough in her head that she’d often catch herself treating him like another person without realizing it, despite having no physical form besides the small terminal on her desk. 

She stretched, leaning back in her chair as she pressed send. They still had a few hours, so Sara opted to use the opportunity to get in some sleep. The task ahead of them on Voeld was going to be tricky enough. A lovesick Pathfinder, exhausted on top of all that, was going to do nobody any good.

As soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep, images of Evfra looming over her with passion in his eyes playing across her unconscious mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: More smut. Evfra most definitely will follow her to Voeld.


	3. Voeld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evfra follows Sara to Voeld, just completely unable to wait till she returns to Aya for sexy times. That's some dedication, and a perfectly reasonable use of resources.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with the exact layout and size of the Resistance base on Voeld, just to make this work.... for the purpose of exploration.
> 
> I head-canon that all the Tempest crew have to bundle up and wear warm clothing, just because I think it's cuter that way.

If there was one thing Sara hated about Voeld, it was how fucking _cold_ it was. The Tempest had been docked there for only a day, and already Sara was 300% done with the planet.

The Resistance base tucked away deep into the side of a mountain was only marginally warmer, the various sun lamps scattered throughout the caverns providing some localized relief to the bitter chill that permeated every inch of the planet. The fact was not lost on Sara that the sun lamps were there for the angaran’s benefit and not her own, but she found herself moving between them in a purposeful pattern on the regular. Even bundled up, the planet was just too damned cold for any of their equipment to make a huge difference, and that included the personal life support systems embedded into her lower armor layer. It only allowed her to linger in the cold a little bit longer than usual without freezing to death, but not by much.

The angara had nothing to provide, having a much hardier resistance to the cold than any of the Milky Way species did. For that, Sara could only envy them. Many of them would wear simple hooded, poncho-like garments over their armor (which she learned were called _rofjinn_ ) but that was the extent of the extra length they would go to in terms of additional gear. Since she'd seen Resistance fighters wear the garments on other, decidedly warmer planets, she doubted they were even meant for the cold anyway.

Now she stood frozen, bouncing at the knee to keep some life in her limbs, while standing around a large digital projection of the planet on a table’s surface. She didn’t know if Vetra and Drack on either side of her were faring any better, but if they were having a hard time they didn’t show it, wrapped in their own layers for warmth.

The few angara in the room, Resistance members and one Heskaarl who seemed to be the point of contact in this endeavor, were crowded around the other side of the projection. They had been plotting out projected comm points on the map, a number of them in kett territory.

“This kett base...” the Heskaarl, Malekk, was tracing a perimeter around the larger kett base situated at the other side of the valley. “...Is going to be a problem as soon as we get close.” It was mostly hidden, buried in its own little mountain enough that it had taken Sara’s team stumbling onto it to know that it was there. They’d been discussing it for a while, so this wasn’t news.

“They’re _all_ a problem,” Drack groused. “I say we just strap a nice big bomb to a shuttle and drop it right on top of ‘em while they’re eating dinner.”

“And who would pilot said shuttle,” Vetra remarked, mandibles clicking with disapproval. “That’s a suicide mission.”

“Just pilot it in remotely. SAM can do that I’m sure.”

“I am afraid that is beyond my capabilities,” SAM intoned. Drack almost looked disappointed.

“We don’t have the forces to take on a base that size,” one of the Resistance angara said, Firosh she remembered being his name.

Sara was about to open her mouth to speak when the angara on the other side of the room suddenly stiffened. Drack and Vetra turned first, the whoosh of the door behind them and the impression of movement the first thing that told Sara someone new had entered the room.

“We’re not wasting a perfectly good shuttle.” The voice was gruff, edged with a hostility reserved for only the stupidest of ideas. Sara felt herself grow a little bit hotter, immediately recognizing the voice.

Evfra.

As if parroting her own internal thoughts, the angara in unison spoke his name in acknowledgment. Evfra came to rest between Sara and Drack, and the krogan grunted in greeting at the Resistance leader. Sara stared straight forward, suddenly afraid to look at him. _Why is her here?_

 _Ryder, I detect a spike in your heart rate and increase in temperature,_ SAM annoyingly commented in her head. They’d talked about this, for an embarrassingly long amount of time after her first interaction with the Resistance leader. There was no need for him to comment on it again, especially considering he’d been there throughout the entire encounter to experience it in a detached sort of way. That didn’t make it any easier to actually have _the talk_ with him.

 _Not now SAM,_ she warned, relaying the thought privately in her head.

“We did not receive word that you were arriving,” Malekk said, sounding gravely concerned. “Is there news from Aya?”

“No.” Evfra countered plainly, voice clipped. “And you did not receive word, because I didn’t send it.” It was phrased as if it should have been obvious. “Nothing good would come out of alerting the kett that I am on Voeld.” Again, almost accusatory. 

“Of course, Evfra,” Malekk relented, previous unease gone. Sara felt Evfra very near her, his presence now a continuous distraction in the room and it was somehow tangible. To make matters worse, Sara could feel Vetra’s eyes on her, and imagined the turian could sense her sudden discomfort and was likely going to have a number of questions.

“Aaaw, you came to see us,” Drack grunted, sounding pleasantly sarcastic. “I’m touched.”

“The Pathfinder came to me personally with this information, so I intend to monitor this operation in a more… _direct_ capacity.” 

_Ryder, I am sensing innuendo in the angaran’s response._ There SAM was again. Sara would rue the day that she’d taught the AI the meaning of innuendo.

 _No shit, SAM._ Another spike of warmth crept through her at the thought.

Sara was still having a hard time even comprehending that Evfra was here, on Voeld, _right now_. He’d really meant it in his last message when he said he couldn’t wait until she was back on Aya… she’d never considered he would mean that _literally_ —or, perhaps her subtle invitation at the end of her response had been enough to persuade him. Her heart hammered at the implication.

There. A press on the small of her back. Evfra’s hand was on her, spanning the entirety of her lower back just above the curve of her backside. What she could feel of it on the outside of her armor and large coat at least. For a split-second panic flushed through Sara’s body like a wave, fearing someone would notice the touch and disapprove or immediately start throwing out questions. She thought she’d flushed 10 degrees hotter.

“Pathfinder,” he acknowledged, nodding in her direction. Sara finally gathered the strength to look at him. His face was surprisingly hard to read, but she supposed that was the intent. He was remarkably good for an angara at masking what was really on his mind, but she could only imagine. There was nothing but simple, passive acknowledgment on his face, but something was swimming in the oceans of his eyes that was unmistakable.

“Evfra.”

“I need to speak to the Pathfinder privately.” _Okay, wow, I guess you really can’t wait then_ … Warmth was starting to pool low in her belly, and she felt a tightness in her throat, born from a flustered, curious excitement. She thought she detected a spark of something hungry in his eye just then and she swallowed thickly.

The angara in the room gave him a stiff nod, and exited quickly without question. Drack and Vetra lingered, unsure of what to do, but when Sara nodded to them, hoping to impart _I’m fine_ on her face, they turned to leave.

“I’ll see you back on the Tempest,” Vetra said, a knowing twang in her voice, and it was all she needed to say to confirm to Sara that the turian _knew_ what was going on. She wasn’t looking forward to entertaining any questions later but she knew Vetra would never let her avoid it. The simple statement was a clear indication that what the turian _meant_ , was that she was going to assault the human with questions the first chance she got.

Soon enough they were alone. The projected map of Voeld emitted a quiet hum in the room.

“What are you _doing_ here?” Sara finally asked, turning to look up at Evfra, unable to contain her surprise any longer. His eyes on her had changed, and he may as well have been undressing her already with how deeply intense his gaze was. His frown was gone, replaced by an easily relaxed half-smile that made his scarred face appear so much softer. The glow of the projection made his already blue skin all the richer and he almost glowed.

“You seem surprised that I would come here,” he observed, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk as his hand at her back traveled down the curve of her backside. He’d sidled up closer to her, hovering just past her face with eyes that had darkened considerably with a ravishing hunger.

“You didn’t seriously come all the way here just for sex did you?” Sara accused, only partially committed to the tone she was using.

Evfra’s head tilted, and he watched her thoughtful. “No. I came for _you,_ ” he emphasized. His hand had slid up her body, past her shoulder to cup the back of her head. “Are you not pleased to see me here?” He didn’t even allow her a response, pulling her in for a rushed, desperate kiss.

“I am…” was all she managed to get out before his lips were on hers.

Something within Sara unraveled, and she welcomed him eagerly into her mouth. He emitted a pleased sigh, tasting her tongue on his as he deepened the kiss. He tugged, a gentle action at the back of her neck, and the entirety of her mouth was his to claim. Sara was all but leaned into him, pulling him in to take in the warmth she could through the heavy layers she wore. The memory of his taste on Aya returned unbidden in her mind; spicy, with a hint of sweetness that was foreign but so very inviting. His scent, musky and masculine with a twang of something floral and soft overwhelmed her, and she was drowning once more.

“I _missed_ you,” he growled, pushing her around gently against the table where the projection still glowed in the room.

“It’s only been a few days,” Sara scoffed, but her heart really wasn’t into admonishing him. She was enjoying too much what he was doing with his mouth on the hollow of her throat. _He’s very into the throat,_ Sara managed a thought between each tease of his mouth. She'd have time to think more on that later and what it meant. The heat in her belly had pooled lower between her thighs and she was heating up fast. “W-we can’t do this here!”

“Why?” Evfra snarled into her neck, chasing her pulse with his mouth, breath shaky and insistent against her as a needy, electrical tingle warmed her skin. His hands had traveled between her thighs, one palm sliding lazily down against her heavy outer layers. If he was imparting on her any sort of bioelectricity under his touch, she couldn’t feel it, but the simple weight of his hand there was enough to make her squirm.

“It’s too cold!” Sara whined, too desperate now to get his hands on her bare skin to put up much of a fight. Evfra though was thoughtful enough to pause, his face coming around to hers where he pressed his forehead to hers. Maybe that was an angaran thing, as they seemed to enjoy the gesture. It was so sweetly intimate.

“Ah. I had forgotten how affected by the cold you were.”

“Is there someplace warmer we can go?” All of Sara’s previous warring conflicts about…. whatever this relationship was, vanished the moment the question left her lips. She was completely enraptured, and there was no stopping this now.

“Yes,” he said, his voice a whisper of hot breath on her face and it made her burn even more. He was so far gone. She could see it in his eyes, pupils already widening with growing excitement. 

“Take me there then,” it was almost a challenge, the way Sara said it, and Evfra responded with a rumbling laugh deep in his chest.

“Follow me,” he said, letting go of her before turning to swiftly walk through a separate door in the back of the room.

Evfra led her deeper into the base than she’d ever gone before, but with him towing her along none of the other angara dared question it. They certainly noticed them, but Evfra had impressively arranged his face into something more severe and full of purpose that no one dared stop them. Sara lost track of where they’d gone, had given up several tunnels and caverns ago deciding to focus slowly on Evfra’s impressively proportioned back in front of her. She only had to hope that she didn’t appear as hungry and lust-crazed as she felt.

Eventually, they entered a side chamber that broke off into what appeared to be barracks of some kind, deserted at this hour of the day. Sara was concerned about potentially encroaching on someone else’s personal space, but Evfra led her to an alcove off to the side where there was a single door.

“These are my private quarters for when Resistance matters bring me here.” he said over his shoulder, releasing the lock on the door before leading her inside.

“You mean like now?” Sara asked, bemused.

“Sure,” he grunted, but it was laced with a small laugh. Sara followed him inside, taking the space in. It was remarkably spartan in character, although Evfra had never seemed like the personal effects type of guy. There was a bed, of course, several sunlamps that were already glowing with warmth, a computer terminal with a number of screens and what almost appeared to be some sort of heater against the far wall. He moved quickly to activate whatever it was, and Sara could already feel the temperature rising in the room. She reasoned that while the angara were well-suited for the freezing temperatures they likely didn’t prefer them if they had alternatives.

“What was all this… before you all moved in? Did you guys carve all of this out of the mountain yourself?” Sara couldn’t help but wonder, having never considered it before.

“No,” Evfra said, his back to her while he adjusted the heating device before moving back to the door. The face of it was glowing with soft, comforting light—almost like a fireplace. _How romantic,_ Sara mused. “These were natural caverns that we decided to put to good use.” A soft beep indicated that he had activated the lock on the inside, effectively closing them in and away from prying eyes.

Evfra turned, and now they stood opposite each other. He was watching her very carefully, eyes traveling the span of her body with the same intensity as when they’d been together on Aya. The room had warmed considerably, and her multiple layers were now starting to be too much. Evfra had already divested himself of his usual neck wrap which had ended up on the floor. His gloves were next, followed by the harness across his chest. He was obviously in a hurry to get things moving. The urgency of the moment was making Sara flush with barely controlled excitement, and her legs began to shake with anticipation.

Eagerly, her hands came up to free herself from the large jacket, making sure to slide the zipper down painfully slowly. Evfra was watching every bit of movement as if entranced, his bare hands now hanging low at his sides, fingers slightly clenched. His eyes traveled back up her form, meeting her drunken gaze with an equally hooded stare.

“Sara,” he rumbled, his eyes following her jacket as it hit the floor. If he had been about to say something more he didn’t, now fully enamored as she slowly undid the straps and clasps that held her armor in place. One by one each piece hit the floor, Evfra’s gaze turning darker and more dangerous as each piece joined the others. 

“I’ve never had someone chase me across star systems just to get in my pants,” Sara mused, voice low and tempting. She didn’t even bother to wonder if he understand the phrase and what it meant, hoping that he would get the meaning based on context. “So tell me, Resistance leader… is that why you’re here?”

Unsurprisingly that got no response. Evfra was struggling now, what little control he had was quickly falling away as Sara stripped in front of him. His shoulders were jumping with barely controlled breaths, eyes hard and predatory. She had freed herself of most of her armor, her chest nearly bare with only her bra remaining, her bare skin soaking in the refreshing warmth of the room. Her lower half had been reduced to the thin layer of under-armor which hugged her body.

Tilting his head he finally went for her, each step a thud against the floor under the force of his movement and weight. Sara stilled, a thrill of fear spiking up her body as Evfra was upon her, pulling her roughly into his mass with his arms tight around her back. She could feel him, hard and very, very aroused against her belly and a fresh rush of pleasure waved through her core as she felt herself clench in anticipation. 

This time he didn’t kiss her, but hovered over her— _loomed_ above her—with his face inches from her own. Their lips nearly touched, but his panting breaths mingled with her own, hot and needy, and Sara was getting lost in the darkness of his eyes.

“What have you done to me?” he hissed, and while she knew it was a question that didn’t require any real answers she couldn’t resist.

“This sounds like a personal problem, Evfra…” she teased, voice quiet. This earned her a snarl, vibrating low in his chest against her, and Sara nearly gasped at the lust it awakened in her. In one swift scooping motion Evfra had her off her feet and against him, dropping their combined bodies onto the bed with the gravity of his weight.

He held his weight off of Sara, propping himself up with an arm planted near her face. She was drowning in him, so close and tucked against him on his bed and it just felt so much more intimate and heartfelt than their previous time together. The urgency and threat of being caught in his office the first time had directed their movements towards a rushed, desperate need for each other and release. Now, she sensed that Evfra wanted to take his time, and her heart hammered at the thought.

“Are they going to wonder what happened to us?” Sara murmured, leaning her head into his touch at her face. He stroked a thumb across her cheekbone, fingers carding through her hair. His thigh was pressed between her legs, the heat of his raging arousal a constant presence against the inside of her leg. When he shifted to lean himself into her, a needy whine escaped Sara’s throat as he dragged against her, already madly sensitive and waiting.

“They won’t dare disturb us. We have as much time as we need.” he rumbled, settling on his elbows at either side of her face. Dipping in, he captured her mouth again. This time, it was long and sensuous, his tongue mingling with hers while he moaned bodily into her mouth. Where their mouths moved against one another Sara felt the tell-tale simmer of his biolectrics, warming her from the inside and shooting pleasure directly to her core as if she was drinking it in.

Sara slid her hands up his chest, trying to find the trick to getting him out of his shirt which earned her another groan of approval. His mouth trailed down her jawline, leaving chaste, soft kisses down her neck. He suckled lightly at the hollow of her throat, mumbling her name absently as if in a trance. Sara slid her hands up to find the grooves against his head, trailing her fingers between the dips and folds that framed his crown. He sighed sweetly into her throat, pressing his hips against her urgently, his erection throbbing and hot against her leg.

“Please, “ Sara pleaded, her breath labored. Evfra pulled away, sitting back on his knees to remove his shirt. Sara’s hands immediately found his soft, tight skin, running her hands down his abdomen to trace the soft lines of muscle underneath. He blinked slowly, enjoying the attention, and looked down at her with eyes that were too full of affection to be real. In these quiet, private moments Evfra was almost a completely different person.

Then all at once the angara’s eyes darkened, and a smirk appeared on his lips that could only herald danger. He suddenly dipped low, his face hovering just above her navel where his hot breath splayed across her belly. Not knowing what else to do with her hands, Sara laid them out on the bed near her face, watching Evfra with a quiet, almost fearful anticipation.

He kissed her on the soft curve of her belly, trailing lower to pause just at her navel where she actually saw him smile— _oh, angara don't have bellybuttons_ Sara thought absently, although she couldn’t quite understand what was so amusing about hers. Unthreatened, Evfra mouthed the slight hollow of flesh there, nipping at the edge with what she could only describe as a reverent fascination. Sara couldn’t stop herself from giggling, his breath tickling her there.

Chuckling, Evfra turned his attention lower, sliding his hands down her waist, leaving a static trail of gentle shocks on her skin in their wake. He passed over the swell of her hips to tug at the hem of her under-armor. Sara’s back arched, almost on reflex, as the tight supporting fabric began to slid down her hips and her thighs. This slow undressing of her, Evfra unwrapping her wet, needy sex like it was a treat waiting just for him, was driving Sara absolutely insane.

“So eager,” Evfra remarked, freeing her completely of her clothes as she helped him by kicking off her boots and bending her knees to easily pull the rest off. Now she lay there, completely naked save for her bra, underneath the angara whose eyes were positively overwhelmed with ferocious hunger. It may have been terrifying had she not known him, the way the black of his pupils expanded in his excitement to engulf the icy blue. He was sitting back on his knees, panting, hands low at his hips again where his cock was straining against his pants.

Sara angled her legs open, knowing how obscene it must have looked with how wet and glistening she knew she was but she didn’t care. Evfra’s eyes dipped down shamelessly low on her body, his mouth twitched hungrily as he drank in her slick cunt and all Sara wanted was to be devoured.

Slowly, Evfra’s hands went back to her thighs, sliding ever upwards on her skin towards where she needed him most. He watched her with careful fascination, eyes alert and focused on every minute detail of her reactions. This would have almost made Sara uncomfortable, being watched with such rapt attention, but now, in this moment, she didn’t care. She didn’t care what her face must have looked like when Evfra slid one solid, massive finger insider her slick depths with a soft gasp of his own.

Reflexively Sara felt herself clench around his finger, whimpering as he began to pump in and out whilst emitting a pleased groan from the very bottom of his chest. He was testing her, angling his wrist with every inward thrust of his hand to better prepare her for him, his other hand moving to stroke greedily at his own cock struggling under his pants. His finger curled inside her, almost beckoning and Sara jerked her hips towards him with his name falling out her lips like a chant. Each drag and pull of his finger, followed by a brush of his thumb creating delicious friction against her clit, was stoking the fire that was growing steadily into an inferno inside her.

“You are beautiful like this. So ready and wanting.” Evfra’s voice, so hushed and fierce, was like another stimulant to bring her closer to the edge. All she could manage was a whimper of approval, biting her own lip to stifle the cry that she knew would escape her any second now. He removed his finger, sliding out and drawing his slick finger up her folds and across her swollen, throbbing bud. Sara whimpered at the emptiness, her muffled whine gaining pitch into a drawn out cry as his finger traveled up her folds before he removed his hand completely.

Wasting no more time, Evfra pulled away from her went for the rest of his clothing, stepping back off the bed to completely shed everything off this time. Before, in his office, he’d only freed the important parts to get to his objective, but now Sara welcomed the sight of _all_ of him. He was so different, and alien, and _beautiful_ all at once and it was nearly unfair. His thighs, thick and corded with muscle twitched as he knelt back onto the bed, pulling her legs open wider to settle between them.

Cock in hand, angling towards her entrance, he lowered back onto an elbow near Sara’s face. She wrapped her arms around his neck as far as they would go, pulling him into her. She nodded urgently, imparting to him that she was ready, and as she threw a leg around his waist he began to sink into her.

Teasing her entrance with his tip, he edged inwards, huffing a deep sigh against her shoulder as his head fell against her. His shoulders seem to go slack, the contact with her again coming as some sort of relief after being taut and wanting for so long. He stretched her open, inching slowly deeper as she adjusted perfectly around him, her walls pulling greedily at the smooth flesh of his cock almost tauntingly. He groaned heavily into her neck with the first tentative rock of his hips, and Sara’s head fell back in bliss.

“Evfra,” Sara sobbed, his name falling out of her mouth when he began to thrust in a rocking, back-and-forth fashion, their entire bodies moving with the rhythm. The hand that had guided him in was now on her hips, gripping her flesh to gain leverage for each drawn out, lengthy stroke. Beneath his fingers, her skin tingled and warmed, his electrical aura enveloping them in a warm, eddying field of excited energy. Sara’s thighs were trembling, the flickering burn of pleasure beginning to simmer deep in her belly as Evfra’s pace quickened, his hips snapping into her seeming in time with his labored breaths.

Evfra stopped suddenly, burying himself deep and all the way home, his hips pressed tight up against hers. A needy, vibrating pulse of energy waved over Sara where their skin connected, rushing up through her body where they were entwined and swallowing her clit with delicious, buzzing friction. Burning hot, a coil of pleasure in her body quickly began to unfurl inside her as she edged ferociously towards her climax.

“S-Shit!” Sara cried, the vibrations of his body against her, coupled with the throb of him filling her so perfectly was almost too much. Her leg that had been tight around Evfra’s waist fell back onto the bed, her hands scrambling to pull him closer to her. She was desperately circling her hips against him, needing and demanding more, but she was trapped against his weight and could only manage a shallow nudge of him where he was deep inside. A hiss against her throat was his response, followed by an urgent, desperate kiss before Evfra abruptly pulled away. 

On his knees, careful to keep their joining intact while he pulled her hips up against him, he grabbed both of her legs and separated them open as far as they would go. Sara gasped, each breath a cry of desperation being left so close to her peak before he’d untangled them. His chest was heaving, sweat glistening on his skin in the dim light and every piece of him in that moment was the picture of raw sexual power. The look he threw her was hooded, and dark, and _desperate_ and Sara just _knew_ that he was about to completely wreck her—in the best way.

Then he _moved_. No ceremony, flair, or warning, or change in his face to tell Sara what she was in for until it was already underway. His hands were tight on her hips, fingers digging into her as he pulled her whole body into him in time with each punishing thrust of his lower body; _all of him_ moved in a bed-breaking rhythm. Sara’s head lolled back, the rhythm throwing her almost outside of herself as she was at the mercy of his pleasure. Her hands desperately tried to gain purchase on something, anything, as she gripped the sheets of the bed to keep herself in place. Stars, she was into it, the pounding of his cock with each press of his hips so thorough and powerful and she was completely lost in the moment and tumbling very quickly towards the edge again in no time.

Seamlessly, Evfra slid a hand around to press against her mound, holding her down while his rhythm faltered for just a moment. His other hand snaked around, thumb finding her clit to rub at her urgently. Sara cried out, voice breaking as that delicious vibration he was so perfectly skilled at assaulted her nub and all her senses once more. Her entire body was tensing, brow furrowed and tight in anticipation of the moment building towards her climax. Evfra’s momentum became disjointed and erratic, indicating he was close as his head tipped back in ecstasy. He angled his hips just so, cock filling her so perfectly coupled with the vibrating drag of his thumb on her clit and it was too much. Sara’s back arched, fingers clenching for all that she was worth, and the pleasure exploded within her as she fell off the face of the world.

Evfra felt it too, the moment she came, and his mouth opened in a wordless cry as he fell seconds later. Her orgasm throbbed around him, pulling and squeezing at his cock greedily to milk every last drop of his seed as he spilled into her. His movement stuttered, doubling him over as he fell down to cover her once more. He caught his weight on the bed, finding her mouth again but their need for air would not allow anything more than a panting drag of lips and tongue against one another.

They were both a gasping, sweaty mess, tangled and trembling and awash in Evfra’s fizzling energy lingering in the afterglow. Sara nearly cried as the last licks of her orgasm rippled through her body, her legs twitching underneath Evfra’s weight. Unconsciously her hands were on his ass, squeezing him against her as if her life depending on keeping him caged inside, unwilling to let him leave her. His cock twitched as he carefully rocked through the final tremors of his own release, whimpering a litany of praise and affection. His breath was heavy on her cheek, slowing as he reclaimed some sense of control enough to lazily kiss and lick at her jaw. He was humming, almost purring, a soft tremor shared between them as Sara finally placed a hand at the back of his head, feeling completely spent.

Her limbs felt weak, shaky, but in a good way. She lovingly fingered the curves of his head, dipping into the hollows and folds earning her a soft rumble of approval as Evfra’s face nuzzled into the crook of her neck. His weight was going slack against her, and as if sensing her struggle he rolled off to the side, pulling her against his front letting her settle against him with a sigh. He pumped his hips once more, slow and soft, his softening member lingering just a moment longer before he pulled completely out to spill remnants of their coupling onto the sheets beneath them. He exhaled onto her shoulder, lovingly kissing Sara’s palm as she reached around to stroke his cheek.

“You frustrate me so, how you draw me in…” Evfra murmured finally, leaning into Sara’s touch on his face. Sara couldn’t help but frown, unsure of how to interpret that.

“I’m sorry,” she said, voice quiet and even. All her worry from before arriving on Voeld now returned unwelcome in her thoughts. Evfra seemed to sense this, the slight tensing of her body, and he pulled her around carefully to look at her face.

“I do not mean to suggest that I do not welcome it,” he said solemnly, responding to her uncertainty. “You are… precious to me now, in ways I can’t really describe.” Almost reverently he stroked the side of her face, thumb tracing the line beneath her eye. Sara sighed, closing her eyes to enjoy the touch.

“I care for you a great deal, Evfra,” Sara responded, wondering in her mind what all this meant. Against all sense and reason, Evfra appeared to be deeply invested in her on an emotional level. He could have simply fucked her once, maybe again this second time, but then left her with a simple declaration that it was nothing more than a physical release. He appeared to not be doing that. Nobody had ever really done that for Sara, and maybe that’s what was scaring her so much.

“I have lost a great deal to the kett, Sara. Everything I had ever loved is gone, and I do not think I can handle that loss again.” Evfra seemed to frown, his blue eyes imparting a sorrow that she’d never seen in him before. All at once Sara mourned for him, knowing that there was a deep pain in the bursting, fractured depths of his eyes.

“I hardened my heart, and have not let my guard down like this in a very long time,” he continued, a beat of hesitation in his voice. His palm had traveled down to her collar where he lightly stroked at her skin, gently across her collarbone. “But with you I feel comfortable to lay my emotions before you. Does this give you evidence of the sincerity of my affections?” He looked down at her, seeming to await her confirmation with a sense of unease. Sara shifted into him, feeling a newfound relief as her worry washed away once more, but it was replaced with a deep desire to be an anchor for him when he needed it.

“It does. And I want you to talk to me…” she said quietly. “When you need to.” If a kiss could impart words, Evfra was clearly saying yes when he claimed her lips anew. The soft, gentle movements of their lips together, warm and sweet and without much tongue, imparted nothing but affection that transcended purely physical need.

They lay there for a while, quietly savoring the remnants of their intimacy and the warmth of the room around them. Eventually, Evfra left Sara long enough to pull a number of soft angaran blankets from somewhere underneath the bed, and wrapped the two of them together. At some point Sara finally removed her bra, amazed that it had remained on during such vigorous sex, but she reasoned that it was going to take some time for that part of her to become instinctive to the angara. Evfra at least seemed to be pleased when her breasts were finally bare, cupping them with a gentle fondness as he curled into her back once more.

Sara wondered just how hard it was going to be to explain their absence, and if it would have consequences, but for that moment she simply wanted to enjoy Evfra’s warmth and weight against her. Eventually his breathing had evened, and he’d stilled considerably and Sara knew that he’d fallen asleep, one arm thrown over her waist.

For just a little while, Sara wanted to live in this moment, where there was no gunfire, or battle against the kett, or the survival of all those she knew at stake. For the moment she could pretend that the only thing that existed was the two of them, embracing in the aftermath of what they’d done, for the second time, and no words were needed. 

She let the precious, loving embrace of him pull her into a doze, and like that they slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting a little... fluffy and romantic.


	4. Eladaan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have some Nomad sex.

After the oppressive cold of Voeld, one would have thought that the blistering heat of Eladaan would have been something of a blessing. It was not.

Once Sara had managed to untangle herself from Evfra, Sara had returned to the Tempest to find a highly agitated Vetra waiting for her. As anticipated, the turian had rounded on her as soon as she stepped into the cargo hold, practically dragging her into the storage room with all the urgency of a mother about to scold her child.

The door had been about to close behind them, when Peebee slipped in with the grace of a category 5 storm.

“There is no way I’m missing this,” the asari babbled, the door finally shutting behind her. Sara had to bite down a scream, starting to feel a little bit ganged up on and wondering just what in the hell the big deal was.

“ _Talk_ ,” Vetra said pointedly to fill the silence that had stretched on a little longer than Sara was comfortable with. It hadn’t helped that Peebee had practically been buzzing with an urgent need to say anything.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sara faked, feeling harassed that her personal entanglements were being made anyone’s business other than her own. It didn’t help that something like this getting out could have had drastic consequences for the Initiative, _and_ the Resistance. 

“You’re banging Evfra, aren’t you?” Peebee had finally blurted, pretense over. Vetra had given the asari a severe look before turning back to Sara, whose expression betrayed the fact that she was guilty as sin. “You’re banging him.” she repeated, looking smug.

“Yeah kid, you two aren’t subtle. He may as well have been mounting you right there in the room.” Vetra observed, although she was decidedly more relaxed now that it was all out in the open. “Then you two disappear for hours…”

“This really isn’t a big deal,” Sara quipped, annoyance at an all time high. “We’re both adults, and we’ve figured out that it just happens to work, and we want it, so that’s really all there is to it.” She was making it sound so cold, and professional, but she wasn’t really in the mood to start confessing her feelings for Evfra in current company. She thought—hoped still—that it was more, but she didn’t really want to run around making any declarations without any official acknowledgment on Evfra’s part. It was bad enough that they were apparently being obvious enough that the Tempest crew could tell. Sara had been stupid enough to think they wouldn't. Given the relative modesty around these sorts of things in the Milky Way, at least compared to the angara for whom touching was the norm even among friends, they were bound to pick up on it eventually.

“You have to tell me what it’s like!” Peebee appeared to be having a separate conversation from the rest of them. She hadn’t been shy about her fascination with the angara as a whole so this wasn’t entirely surprising.

“I’m so _not_ doing that…”

“Sara… _look_ ,” Vetra started, running a finger down the bridge of her flattened nose. “I don’t think any of us really care what you two do, but all I’m going to tell you is that you need to be careful.”

“Yes, _mom_ ,” Sara groused, but her heart wasn’t in it. Vetra’s mandibles flared at the admonishment.

“I don’t really trust them yet, that’s all. I don’t trust _him_ yet. And if he’s using you…”

“Fine, if you won’t tell me I’ll ask SAM. SAM! Give me the details!” Peebee pouted, still involved in her own conversation and Sara’s head was starting to spin bouncing between them.

“...I’m going to kill him.”

“Vetra, that won’t be necessary. And no Peebee, I am not giving you intimate details on my sex life.” Sara pointed at both of them to emphasize her point.

“Sara is right. I am not at liberty to provide any visual or audio recordings without strict authorization…” SAM intoned, but this only seemed to encourage Peebee more.

“You recorded it?!”

“ _Peebee._ ” Now Vetra was warning the asari. “SAM, I never want to see that _ever_.” 

“Enough. This mission is too important for all of us, trust or not. They’re willing to work with us, so let’s do what we can to help them.” Sara said, trying to impart some shred of authority in her voice, if only to change the subject. 

“But it was good, right?”

“Peebee, stop!” If Sara’s face could have gotten any redder, it would have, and she wagered that her expression was all Peebee needed to give it all away. At this point it was almost laughable, and Sara could admit eventually that their concern for her was touching. It meant they cared.

When Sara had been subjected to that conversation days ago, she would have never anticipated that those boundaries of trust were about to get tested almost immediately.

The mission itself had been successful. There had been some hardships along the way—dealing with kett was never easy, least of all on Voeld where one was always in danger of falling victim to frostbite at all times—but they had successfully managed to bolster the Resistance comm network to give the angara an edge. This had earned the Pathfinder team nothing but praise, and warm gratitude, thus improving the standing of the Initiative in their eyes, but there was always more work to be done. Evfra’s presence there had only served to further the significance of the victory tenfold, and for the time being there was hope to be had.

In the midst of all the activity, Sara had only seen Evfra in passing, but the way he regarded her now had warmed considerably. If the angara as a whole had caught on to anything between them yet, nothing was said of it, and Tann was not breathing down her neck about any “untoward entanglements” so Sara left it alone. When he would pass her in the corridors he would always manage to brush against her, light enough that it could be missed if not being looked for, and Sara would always feel a tingling touch of static whisper across her where they made contact. In his own way, she supposed he was saying hello—reminding her that there was still _something_ happening between them that neither of them had really figured out yet. That certainly took the edge of the chill.

They hadn’t been alone again since that night in his quarters, but things had become vastly more complicated even faster. At some point, they had received reports of a crashed kett vessel on Eladaan, a planet that had little-to-know kett activity as well as no Resistance presence. What made this significant, was the fact that the kett had apparently been killing _each other_ , a development that could have immeasurable implications. Evfra all but demanded to board the Tempest and be taken there. After all, he reasoned, the Tempest was going there anyway and he wanted to investigate the wreck in person.

“Not very subtle…” Vetra had muttered to Sara again in passing, and the human admittedly had nothing in way of a comeback.

Remarkably, however, Evfra had restrained himself, and had taken residence in the tech lab so as not to be a disturbance and uproot anyone else on the ship. Sara had thought to offer him refuge in her own quarters, if only to be polite seeing as the room was very much large enough for two, but he’d declined. No amount of convincing him that her crew was trustworthy and that they wouldn’t talk was going to stick, and he’d reasoned that the less people were given to speculate, the less there would be rumors and distractions from what really needed to be focused on. The crew relaxed around him well enough, but Evfra didn't exactly go out of his way to interact with them. He hadn’t been _avoiding_ her persay, but perhaps had determined that keeping a certain distance between them would prevent any sort of threat to Sara’s authority on her own ship.

Sara supposed on the surface it had made sense, but it was hard to not be disappointed. She would have figured the angara would have no qualms about flaunting their physical attractions with anyone within earshot, but Evfra had always been different. He was very private, and she supposed he may have even been uncomfortable on a ship full of aliens. She would have been haunted by all her previous uncertainties, if not for the fact that Evfra would still give her wanting glances from across the room, imparting on her the same electrifying _hello, I’m still here_ every time they were near enough each other to touch.

After a time, it started to drive Sara mad. Not being able to really touch him was starting to make her anxious, but before she’d known it they had arrived on Eladaan and the blistering heat was enough of a mood killer to make her forget all about their trip there.

So now here Sara Ryder was, sweating to death in the Nomad while she drove out to the coordinates of the crashed kett ship. She was not alone however, as of course Evfra had insisted on coming along. Being too large for the front seat, he sat in the back, arms folded and glowering. Sara couldn’t tell if he was truly in a bad mood about something, or if the heat was just making him miserable. The sweltering, sticky atmosphere in the Nomad was certainly doing nothing to improve Sara’s outlook on life, and while the Nomad had it’s own temperature control systems they only did so much with the vehicle itself practically driving around in an oven.

They were alone, the rest of her crew set to their own tasks, though Sara half-wondered if they had all intentionally given the two of them some personal space. Perhaps they had sensed the rapidly fraying control between them both after keeping so much distance from each other on the Tempest.

A thin layer of sweat had started to coat Sara’s body, sliding down the back of her neck in rivulets to soak the back of her shirt. Armor would have been a disaster, so she was wearing nothing but thin layers. They didn’t anticipate hostilities at the crash site anyway. Glancing back, Evfra was wearing his usual full-bodied attire sans neck wrap, and while he did look miserable he didn’t appear to be suffering quite as much as Sara was. _Damn the angara and their amazing adaptability to temperature extremes._

“You doing okay back there? You look like you’re about to murder someone,” Sara hoped the joke would lighten the mood, But Evfra appeared as tense and wound up as ever.

“Angara do not do well in the heat.” He muttered, eyes finally flicking over her form. “Although it appears you are suffering a great deal more.” There. Finally, a smirk crossed over his face at the lines of sweat that dotted Sara’s clothing. If Sara believed in a god, she’d be praising them for allowing the Initiative to remember to bring along such essentials as deodorant and antiperspirant, otherwise this would have gotten immensely more unpleasant.

“I don’t know… I happen to like being cooked alive.” Sara joked, enjoying the chuckle it pulled out of the angara. “You comfy back there?”

“No.” Just as quickly the smirk was gone. He really was too big for the Nomad, even in the back seat. He was forced to part his knees, digitigrade legs folding in a cramped, compact fashion that couldn’t have been comfortable.

“We can stop for a minute, I see some shade over there…” A circle of red trees dotted the landscape, and Sara reasoned that maybe the shade would provide a little bit of relief in the heat. It was certainly worth a try, so she angled the Nomad towards it. Surprisingly, Evfra didn’t protest, although she supposed that a crashed ship and a bunch of dead kett weren’t exactly going anywhere.

Opening the side-hatch of the Nomad, the air was just slightly less-stifling, but the increased airflow helped to ward of the oppressive temperature. A slight wind wafted through the leaves, the soft noise a reminder that they were completely alone in the middle of the desert.

They sat in silence for a moment. Evfra seemed to loosen a little bit now that the Nomad was open to the air, and Sara sensed him shift in his seat. She looked at him, and his eyes were already on her in a way that told her he noticed they were alone too. Sara began to heat up again, but for an entirely different reason.

Sitting there, legs canted open almost like he was taunting her, Evfra watched her with an intensely knowing look, as if he knew what was on her mind. He saw her eyes on him, the path they traveled, but he didn’t move. Part of her wondered why, but she didn’t ask. She’d been aching for him since they’d last been entwined on Voeld and she didn’t know if she could wait any longer. Their isolation only made the want more palpable—the realization that they could do whatever they wanted and no one was around to catch them.

Almost like she was pulled, Sara reached out to Evfra from where she was sitting, and immediately he responded in kind. His hand slid along her forearm, a soft tingle of buzzing energy traveling along her skin making the soft hairs stand on end. He was almost beckoning her, and like she was magnetized she found herself gravitating towards his insatiable call.

Sara’s smaller human form allowed her greater maneuverability in the Nomad, and she found herself more aware of this fact than she ever had been in that moment. It took her no time at all to hunch over and shuffle to the seats behind her, where she nearly fell into Evfra’s lap with a gasp. The heat he radiated was extraordinary, and Sara felt it mingle with her skin, already flushed and sweating, just as surely as she felt the pulse of energy skitter across her spine once his hands were on her.

Their foreheads touched, and they lingered like that for a few moments as if drinking each other in. Evfra had melted a bit at the contact, and she could feel his pulse quicken against her chest. Sara found his lips with a slight tilt of her face, savoring the contact after what felt like years. He returned the gesture with earnest, gently pulling at her bottom lip with teeth, earning him a soft whine as Sara throbbed.

“You’ve spent so much time on me I haven’t really had a chance to appreciate you, yet,” Sara observed quietly. Evfra’s eyes were half-lidded, and he mumbled something she thought might have been a response but it was hard to be sure under the breathy tenor of it all. She felt a stirring in his groin, a growing warmth, but he wasn’t quite there yet. “I want to spend some time on you.” Sara had ideas.

When she got no protest from Evfra, Sara angled her body to slide off his thighs where she could fit just neatly between his legs and the seat in front of them. Evfra’s hands hung in the air where her body had just been, almost stunned that she could even fit there, but he watched her with a stilled focus that bordered on hesitation. Sara placed her hands on his thighs and rubbed lovingly, wondering if he knew what she was thinking.

“Are you good?” She asked finally, wanting to make sure she wasn’t mistaking his expression for unwillingness. He finally placed his hands on hers, seeming to impart a need through touch alone. She could feel the growing currents of his bioelectricity humming within the Nomad’s cabin, and it warmed her where she touched him. “Do you want this? I can stop.”

“Don’t stop.” The response was hurried, nearly a gasp. “I...are….” Evfra was never at a loss for words. This was new. She could feel his thighs starting to tremble beneath her palms. The swagger and confidence he had shown in their previous two encounters was suddenly absent.

“If you’re uncomfortable we can wait.”

“I _badly_ want you.” The growl again, intense and wanting. Maybe angara women didn’t get down on their knees this way. She hadn’t exactly asked any, and given that Evfra had more or less always taken the lead when they’d had sex she didn’t know if her sudden forwardness was strange or off-putting to him. He was certainly wound up, his breath hitched and labored, eyes already widely dilated indicating that he was certainly feeling something pretty intense.

Eyes flicking around, Sara briefly wondered if his relative lack of control or ease of movement was making him react this way. He didn’t exactly have a lot of freedom or leverage in the situation, and maybe that was why he was reacting so differently this time. She certainly didn’t want to make him feel cornered. 

“We can get out, if you want to be more comfortable?”

“ _No._ Like this.” His hand had finally slid forward to cup her head. _Oh...does he want me to take control?_

Sara got a quiet thrill at the thought, feeling powerful. Pleasure and need pooled low in her hips, the heat almost becoming unbearable but their desire too great. Tentatively she slid herself upwards, angling her body up to palm at his belly beneath his shirt. She pressed her face into his warmth, chasing the edge of his stiffening member with her mouth over the fabric of his pants. This earned her a low, longing growl, his hand finding a spot on the back of her head as if to pull her in. She would have cringed at the feel of the moisture on her scalp from all the sweating, but Evfra didn’t seem to care. If anything he seemed to be encouraged to slide his fingers through and tangle the strands around them.

She breathed in his smell again, powerful and potent, but arousing beyond measure: spicy, musky and _electric_ and his field of energy was practically grasping at her body. She felt his hands leave her for just a brief moment, then a rustling of movement from above, before his bare palms returned to get a better grip. Sara hummed, smiling into him as she nosed his arousal with a huffing breath, his hips angling to follow her movements. She needed to get him out of these pants, _now._

Shifting on her knees, Sara looked up at him and he was mesmerizing: eyes dilated and bottomless, watching her movements like she was the most fascinating thing in the world. He was panting, mouth hanging open wordlessly with each drawn-out breath, and already shimmering with beads of sweat on his smooth brow. If he was already this undone Sara wondered exactly how far she could take him once she actually touched him. She slid her hands back down to his waist, finally making out the various fasteners and clasps that would free him.

Evfra shifted, pulling her face up to look at him.

“You can’t be comfortable,” he murmured, and Sara was touched that he cared, although truthfully she was fine.

“I’m smaller than you, this is perfectly fine,” she said, slowly, edging the fabric down his waist. He lifted just slightly off the seat in an effort to aid her, his hands never leaving her hair. He puffed a small gasp of air once his erection sprang free, and Sara was finally able to get a really good look at him.

She’d seen him before, but it had always been dark and hurried in the midst of lovemaking, but now she had the ability to take control and draw the moment out. Once his pants had made it past his knees to pool at his second joint Sara settled back down between his legs to appreciate him: heavy and smooth and blushing a deeper blue than the rest of his skin. One hand slid up to palm the rippled, throbbing skin just below his cock—angara testes were internal, she had learned—and this earned her a shuddering growl in response. The protruding ridge along his underside looked particularly delicious to her, so she leaned in with one measured drag of her tongue from base to tip.

If Sara had never heard Evfra sound startled before, she certainly heard it now. His hips had nearly jumped entirely off the seat with a strangled cry, his cock hitting her face with a _thunk_ that Sara really felt. Immediately Evfra was cursing, offering a hurried _“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”_ which had Sara chirping in a hushed, calming fashion.

“That good?” she asked with a soft laugh, letting her eyes wander up to him with her lips on his base. She sucked lightly, playing with the bunched up flesh with her tongue. Evfra’s voice hitched, eyelids fluttering closed as he swallowed thickly before appearing to compose himself.

“You’re tongue…” he started to say, but the message never came completely through. Evfra’s words were drawn out into a lengthy exhale as his head fell back when Sara swiped her tongue up his length a second time. His hands in her hair had tensed considerably, a heady, tingling warmth mingling with her wet scalp under his touch, and she wagered he was going to start pulling at her any second now.

One of his legs had shifted, stretching out where it could hang out the open door of the Nomad, and Sara was actually quite fascinated at how long his legs actually were completely unfolded like this. There was an elegance to the way he was able to stretch so fully that could have even been intimidating if she wasn’t currently seated with her face above his cock. If she had been able to get his pants all the way off she would have, if only to make him more comfortable, because as it worked she had to readjust herself around his movements to accommodate his clothing. She didn’t mind, as it placed her further up against her intended destination.

Running her palms along his hips, Sara left a trail of open mouth kisses along his thigh, moving ever closer to his center while her tongue began to take part in the ministrations in slight dipping motions. She wrapped one hand around his base and pumped experimentally, earning her a groan from low in his belly that she could feel underneath her hands. Beads of his own moisture had collected on the slit at his smooth, rounded tip, and his rapid throbbing pulse was strong underneath her fist.

Lazily she began to jerk at him, each up-and-down pull of her hand was like sucking the air directly out of Evfra’s lungs, leaving him gasping with each stroke. Her hand didn’t fully move the length of him, rather the tugging motions pulled at the thin, pliable skin of his cock, dragging up and down—loosely stimulating but intense and firm. She was barely exerting any effort, but sweat was collecting on her brow and the hollow of her throat, the heat radiating from Evfra all-encompassing in the already intensely hot cabin of the Nomad.

When Sara’s breath splayed across the tip of his cock, Evfra nearly choked, one hand leaving her sweat-covered hear to grip the hand-rail on the roof of the vehicle. The heat of their bodies, combined with Evfra’s heavy, labored pants had started to steam the Nomad’s windows, further isolating them. Sara delighted in every gasp of air, every needy moan and snarl from the angara clinging to dear life above her as she continued to pump him, but now she needed to _taste_ him.

With tongue first, Sara tasted the moisture at his tip, sliding against the slit before teasing it open. He tasted sweet, with a foreign tang of something fizzy and electric, like a charged fluid buzzing with kinetic energy.

“ _Fuck,_ ” Evfra cursed, the sound loud and startling, but Sara only lifted her eyes to his face with a smirk as her lips began to part around him. His eyes were glassy and dark, almost primal, but he did little more than fist tighter into her hair with a groan as she began her descent down his length.

He slid so easily into her mouth, her tongue gliding down the underside to play with the firm ridge there. Evfra sucked in air, his hips angling into her mouth to go deeper. As it was, Sara had taken him all the way to her fingers and she didn’t think she could fit him all in. Her jaw was stretched to capacity, but she enjoyed the way it burned. She hummed her approval, and Evfra’s own approval was intense and immediate as his hips angled ever upward.

With her hands, Sara pushed him back against the seat to restrain him. Evfra snarled, the sound so harsh and rasping when she sank down his length again that she was sure he was going to throw her off and just take her. Perhaps he didn’t have the time to piece together such a coherent thought, because Sara took that hesitation to truly, properly blow him.

Sara sensed, that Evfra became lost to the world in that moment, sinking into the seat as his fist followed the bobbing motions of her head. He moaned, gasped, _keened_ when Sara swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock, head falling back in ecstasy with another shameless cry. She could feel him beginning to break apart, his bioelectric field stuttering as she quickened her pace, whimpering her own encouragement as she soaked him through with her own saliva. The hand-railing creaked under his fist where he was holding on, the sound barely heard under the symphony of passion falling from Evfra’s mouth.

“S-Sara,” he managed, between stuttering gasps. His fist tightened further into her hair, bordering on painful until he stopped her movements completely. He throbbed in her mouth, warm and wet, the salt of Sara’s sweat melding with the sweeter taste of his skin. She caught his meaning, and would have been happy to continue but Evfra was pulling at her greedily.

Her shirt came off first, easy enough in the cabin for her if not for the fact that she needed to peel it from her body. Evfra’s grip fell away from the hand-rail, sliding against the fogged over glass of the window leaving a trail in it’s wake as he went to go for her pants. That was a bit more of a struggle, as she had to wriggle her way out of them one leg at a time before she could finally toss them onto the other seat. Underwear was gone in the same manner, and Evfra was already going for her bra by the time she settled on his lap. His shirt had already come off during Sara’s scramble to undress, and she settled against the firm ridges of his chest with a sigh, glad for the feel of his breath on her again. His skin was hot and buzzing under her fingers, and the contact would have been shocking had Sara not already been mad with desire.

The temperature outside suddenly didn’t matter. The cramped, overbearingly hot cabin of the Nomad had become heavy with the moisture from their combined labors, but their more urgent need took precedent. Where their bodies connected there was a slick, slide of skin on skin, the contact almost like closing a circuit as it allowed Sara to truly feel Evfra’s powerful energy ebb and flow with each pound of his heart. It vibrated her to her very core, flames flickering low, and with barely a breath more she had his face in her hands and she was tumbling once again into the depths of his eyes. 

Sara chased a bead of sweat on Evfra’s brow, running her thumb along the smooth, angular ridge and he leaned into the contact. His hands were at her hips, and she hovered above him, his cock poised just at her entrance. His mouth was on her face, panting, sloppy but needy kisses going for whatever skin he could reach before he finally found her throat again, seeming to be at home.

Words weren’t particularly needed this time. Evfra’s hand had moved down to steady himself at her dripping slit, waiting for her further action or approval before going further. Sara was ready already, just needing to feel the drag of him inside her beyond all else. She sank down, drawing him in, cradling his head against her as he shuddered through the duration of her descent. He filled her completely, the contact all encompassing and overwhelming as she settled against his thighs once he was sheathed to the hilt.

Evfra murmured something into her throat that her translator didn’t pick up, but it didn’t matter. The language barrier, their distance across the stars and generations didn’t matter, because this was raw and real and _living._

She loved him. Sara Ryder loved Evfra de Tershaav, and she didn’t care anymore who knew it.

Sara angled back, untangling herself from the angara to push against the almost perfectly positioned ridges on his chest. He sat back unblinking, eyes awash with passion and sudden urgency. His massive chest moved with each labored breath almost in time with Sara’s anchored rise and fall against him. 

When Sara moved then it nearly took her breath away. Her body practically sung, awash in Evfra’s energy and the overwhelming weight of him moving against her walls. She set the pace of their lovemaking this time, rising off his cock and falling back down in a drawn-out, torturous fashion while Evfra watched her as if in a trance. His hands held her waist loosely, content and eager for the moment to just watch her guide them both off the rapidly approaching edge.

Using his chest for leverage, Sara quickened her pace, head falling back with a cry at the added friction as her angle changed. Evfra’s hand slid down to cup her backside, providing the support Sara needed to bounce bodily on him, her legs hanging uselessly off his thighs. The simmering coil of heat was quickly unfurling within her, and the added stimulation from Evfra’s thumb brushing against her breast with a pop of restrained energy only made her tumble that much quicker.

“Please,” Sara breathed, guiding his hand to skim across the hardened peak again. He obliged, thumb catching against the nipple with another current of his energy and she clenched around him with a cry. Evfra snarled, his hips bucking a little when her walls fluttered around him, and he went impossibly deeper inside her. This awakened something within him, her loving, encouraged cries inspiring him to match her movements with renewed urgency. He palmed needily at her breasts, hips jerking up in shallow, barely controlled thrusts as her breasts moved beneath his hands. Sara could tell that Evfra was starting to lose control. She could see it in his eyes the second before he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body into him.

Evfra’s mouth was on her again, teeth and tongue moving against her collar to the swell of her breasts. Sara arched her back, allowing his mouth passage as he descended on a mound, swirling the swollen nub with his tongue with a throaty grunt that reverberated between them. She nearly sobbed, throbbing against him once more as he pushed her further towards the summit of her release. Their sweat-slicked bodies slapped together and it echoed in the Nomad’s cabin around their cries and gasps of pleasure.

“T-take me!” Sara finally gasped, demanded, louder than she would have normally been comfortable with, but they were truly isolated—the only people existing on this planet at that moment. She was grinding her hips against him, reveling in the delicious friction against her clit as she dragged against his hips. The change in rhythm made Evfra shout in a rough, haggard fashion as he brought his leg back into the cabin to steady himself against the Nomad’s floor.

With that added leverage, Sara was nearly lifted straight off his lap as he bucked again, this time with more power behind it. She emitted a startled cry that bordered on joyous as his hips surged upwards, cock a relentless force as he pumped into her, hands tight on her hips to guide her against him. His control and restraint was long gone, the Nomad creaking and shuddering under his desperate movements as Sara encouraged him with every gasp of his name. Her hands held the seat behind him, digging into the leather as her thighs trembled. Edging faster, and faster towards her peak, Sara felt her legs jerk and her breath stopped tight in her lungs as her orgasm crashed over her like a wave.

Evfra felt it too, his face breaking apart the moment he felt her clench around him and he cried out—nearly yelped—when he was pushed over the edge with her. He buried himself deep, hips tight and flush against each other, and his movement seized as he came inside her. Trembling and flushed, he had her pulled against him like a vice, riding out every jerk and twitch of his own orgasm as Sara fell down with him. His energy crested and peaked at the moment of bliss, and Sara could almost taste it in the back of her throat when it surged like a pulse, before stuttering out in time with each of Evfra’s labored gasps against her skin.

Sara’s entire body buzzed, and she flopped limply against Evfra’s front to hang against his shoulder while she tried to catch her breath. The angara’s face was tight against her shoulder, arms wrapped and clinging around her middle and Sara felt his bioelectricity start to dissipate in the aftermath. Sticky, breathless and spent, they remained like that for what felt like an eternity, just following each other’s slowing breaths.

Eventually, the sweltering heat and discomfort of their lingering sweat made Sara stir. Her scalp was starting to itch, her hair now a stringy mess thanks to their shared exertions. Evfra shifted her to look at her face, palming at her cheek with a shaky hand. He pulled her in for a needed kiss, sealing the last few moments together like a present with the gentle movements of their mouths.

“Your hair,” he said fondly once he had pulled away, a soft whispering laugh on his breath. He began running his fingers through the clumped strands. Sara would have cringed, but they were both sweating now so it didn't really matter.

“Yeah, it’s wet,” she offered, not really able to compose a full sentence after the ride they'd just shared. He hummed in response, seemingly unfazed. Daringly she kissed his brow where a scar ran deep down the side of his face. He didn’t protest or comment on it, so she let her lips travel down to where it sliced cleanly through his lips. He kissed her back with a soft exhalation and Sara could have sworn he was purring.

“That was… enjoyable,” Evfra murmured, his hands coming down to her shoulders with a soft thunk. The deep, rumbling vibrato in his chest had stopped. “But there is a cramp in my leg, and I need to move.” It wasn’t demanding, but the soft urgency in his voice told Sara that she needed to get off him. In a blind rush of apologies, Sara tried to scramble from his lap, disconnecting them with a rush of warmth between her legs.

Before long they were clothed again, stepping out of the Nomad to find the temperature outside now marginally lower than the vehicle. Sara didn’t exactly relish the idea of putting back on her sweaty clothes, but she hadn’t brought a spare so there wasn’t really a choice. A shower seemed like a great idea when they returned to the Tempest, and with a smirk, Sara wondered if Evfra would be interested in joining her.

Evfra brushed against her again, a soft touch of his fingers against her arm, and Sara felt the now familiar tickling warmth travel up to her shoulders. Perhaps whatever he was imparting to her didn’t require words—advanced angaran communication or not—because she understood it plainly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I'm aware there's a hell of a lot of plot/lore convenience and I'm not really staying accurate and true to how the game mechanics work... but I'm also only loosely pulling thrings from memory right now. Let's be real, you're here for the smut on this one, and not the lore.


	5. Tempest, and Something More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara and Evfra mess around in a shower, and some fluffy feelings ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has commented and sent me all manner of love for this work. It started out as a silly prompt amongst some very thirsty friends, and I never intended to write 5 whole chapters of this stuff. For now, I'm going to end it here I think, but at some point if more prompts come to me I may open it back up again, or perhaps explore some more slow-burn around the simple smut encounters to make it more expansive.
> 
> Little side note, I had intentionally kept Evfra's anatomy fairly simple as I hadn't entirely decided what I thought their dicks were like yet. What I've settled on now though, is equipment that's more or less internal and kept in a sheath until aroused but I really didn't want to make it all too complicated just for the sake of my own sanity.
> 
> For now, you can find me at my Sara/Jaal fic under my profile, where I am attempting something a bit more slow-burn and long-term, focusing on areas that I'd really like to have been expanded on in the core game. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to include smut in that one, as I feel like so many people have already hit those notes that I'm not sure I can add anything more, but I may just have to come up with some new and exciting ways for my OTP to bang.

Later, they moved quietly through the kett wreckage. Much of it had already been picked clean by scavengers, but the bodies of the dead were still lying where they’d fallen. SAM had alerted her to the presence of a kett device that might shed some light on what had happened, so they’d grabbed it to try and sift through it later. SAM couldn’t crack it, so it would need to be brought aboard the Tempest for further examination.

At that point though all Sara could think about was getting to the showers and getting clean. Evfra’s silence on the way back to the Tempest told her he must have been thinking of the same. The lack of words however, wasn’t tense or awkward between them. It actually felt natural, to just sit in each other’s presence without requiring much conversation. It meant they were comfortable with each other, a dramatic change from when they’d first met and could barely stand being in the same room together.

To be perfectly honest however, Sara wasn’t entirely in the mood for conversation anyway. Once they’d driven the Nomad back onto the Tempest, all she could think about was stomping away to her private shower in her quarters and getting her filthy clothes off of her body. Everything felt sticky, and her skin itched from a combination of sweat and dirt and her mood had soured considerably.

Before stalking off, Sara beckoned Evfra to join her in her room. The rest of the crew be damned at this point. If Peebee knew, then Sara was sure at this point that everyone did, but she trusted them enough to know that they would be discreet in this. Evfra had followed her without protest or complaint this time, and that had warmed Sara considerably.

There was initially time spent sending messages out: Evfra sent word back to Aya that he’d be returning in due haste on board the Tempest, and he had a number of Resistance reports to skim through while Sara quickly fired off instructions to her team to begin working on the device they’d found. Kallo was just lifting off from Eladaan by the time things had settled enough that Sara finally had the opportunity to get time to herself. With Evfra, if he was willing.

“I thought maybe you’d prefer the privacy of my own shower,” Sara had said to him, noting his self-imposed isolation during their initial journey to Eladaan. When she’d posed the offer, Evfra’s sidelong glance from his seat at her couch had been beset with mirth at the implications hidden underneath what she was suggesting.

Truthfully though, that wasn’t Sara’s real motivation, as his comfort took precedence. She just thought maybe he’d be reluctant to use the more public showers in the crew quarters. “I don’t mean to suggest we shower _together_ …” she added hastily, matching his amused expression with a smirk of her own.

“Is that an option?” Evfra had questioned, although his growling tone had suggested he was teasing her. His actions however, as he’d stood and slowly begun the efforts of removing his dirtied clothing, indicated that he already knew the answer to such a query.

“If you want…” Sara had called over her shoulder as she padded to her private bathroom, pants having been long forgotten as she striped off her filthy shirt. If the swell of his bioelectric current that followed after her was any indication, she knew he was not far behind her as she stepped into the smaller space and turned on the shower.

When she stepped into the water it was bliss, the room already beginning to steam from the temperature she preferred. The hot stream cascaded over her dirtied skin, and she combed fingers through her long hair to soak through each strand. She sensed Evfra’s presence as soon as he’d stepped in with her, his hand sliding up her back with a skittering pulse of greeting as the door shut behind him, caging them in.

Sara was thankful that Kallo had given her the trick to shutting off the hot water timer when she’d first taken command, as she was certain they were going to be there for a while. SAM had also quieted, having gotten rather adept at knowing when his presence needed to be shuttered off the backer parts of her mind. She could already feel anticipation building, and she could feel that Evfra shared it, like a resonating hum filling the space with them. As his hand slid down the length of her arm, he stepped into the stream of water with her, his current needling down her arm and through her fingers. She paused, a worry creeping into her, and Evfra must have sensed her tense because he spoke before Sara could put her concerns to words.

“I won’t electrocute you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Sara thought she might have detected a smile on his lips as he turned her to face him. Sara couldn’t help but snicker, letting him take her hand to press a number of kisses on her palm as any further question died on her lips. She could have asked how he could possibly know that, but as he likely knew more about his own biology than she did, all she could do was trust him. He had already proven that he was willing to take the initiative and do the needed research before their first encounter, so perhaps this had just been additional information he’d come across.

“The thought did cross my mind,” Sara admitted, trailing a finger down the smooth edge of his cowl. Evfra’s eyes slipped closed, a throaty purr rumbling in his chest as her hand slid to his sternum. She traced circles where his heart would be, relishing the feeling of every kiss he laid on her wrist and up her arm.

“I won’t hurt you,” he mumbled, the words gentle as he opened his eyes again, the blue so bright and vibrant against pupils that were already widening with arousal. 

Feeling daring, Sara spoke, “Let’s get you cleaned up, then.”

Initially, their movements had been slow. Evfra somehow managed to take up a majority of the space in the cubicle, but Sara’s smaller form made up for that reasonably well as she maneuvered around him to retrieve her soap: Initiative issue, nothing fancy unfortunately but it would do in a pinch. For a while they leisurely shared the water, letting it wash the caked sand and sweat from their bodies in rivulets that circled down the drain. Every now and then they would share a soft, lingering kiss that left Sara’s lips tingling, and true to his word Evfra’s bioelectricity did nothing more than ghost across her skin like gentle little whispers. Eventually they could no longer keep their hands off each other, the soft brushes of skin on skin stoking a slow-burning fire as Sara began cleaning Evfra first with languid, gentle strokes.

Sara took the time to really admire Evfra’s form as she lovingly washed him clean, letting her hands travel over his beautiful blue skin to trace the mottled patterns of white and darker blue under her palms. She took extra care as her hands ran over raised scars and places where the flesh hadn’t quite healed together right, leaving knitted crags of dented skin and angles that shouldn’t have been there. She loved all of Evfra, and made sure to give every part of him the same rapt attention as he eased under her touch. He’d raised his head into the spray of the water, eyes sliding closed and expression relaxed as he rumbled his gratitude at her explorations. Sara could help but think that this, his comfort and tenderness in her presence was something special and private just for her, a stark contrast to the face of the Resistance leader he wore in public and in front of the men under his command. In this she felt, she was seeing the _real_ Evfra, before the war and before everything had been taken from him by the kett. Sara wasn’t one for religious sentiments, but it kind of felt like a blessing.

She took her time, tracing along each curve and ridge of his body, fingers running over muscle and bony protrusions to chase the way the water fell off him and through the cracks. Yet, all of it was alluring, despite how alien and _inhuman_ he was, but she’d stopped caring about that long ago. He’d mumble words she couldn’t translate whenever she found a particularly sensitive spot, his soft sighs and rumbles of appreciation increasing in frequency as his breath quickened. There was no hiding his obvious arousal now, his length exposed and hardening in response to her touch, although she restrained herself from letting her hands travel lower. It had become pretty clear that it didn’t take very much effort on her part to get him worked up, and just knowing she had that effect on him shot warmth and pleasure immediately down to her center.

Evfra did not seem to be in any particular hurry either, although his hands had eventually traveled to cup her hips, drawing her in _just close enough_ to feel him. Sara had learned, even from their first encounter, that the angara had no shame in this regard, although it seemed largely cultural rather than a purely Evfra trait. 

Sara couldn’t help but blush, thinking that this moment was intensely intimate on a whole other level. Sex, multiple times in various places, was one thing, but being able to share these quiet moments of companionable intimacy was all the more special. It was _normal_. They were bonding, and Sara had to suppress a small smile with her teeth.

“What are you smiling for?” There was no hiding it from Evfra, as he’d already noticed before she’d had time to stop it. His voice wasn’t accusatory however, but he did sound insanely curious. His eyes had opened again, and Sara could have immediately gotten lost in the way the light dancing through the cascading water illuminated his widened pupils. It was the most obvious tell she had learned: excitement and arousal, intense and just for her, and lust pooled and whirled low in her belly to just be _devoured_ so without even a touch.

“Just… this,” Sara sighed, gesturing to nothing in particular as she let the deep fathoms of his eyes pull her in. “It should feel so strange and foreign… but it doesn’t. It feels normal.” She wasn’t really sure how Evfra would respond to an admission, but the soft, intimate smile he gave her spoke volumes.

“And…” he started, turning her away from him with gentle hands at her hips so that he could return the favor by washing her back. “Does this please you?” His hands ran up her shoulders, covering her back with lathered soap in one fell swoop. One hand snaked around to her front to clean her other side, but as he tugged her gently against him Sara realized with a quiet thrill that he was intentionally injecting a secondary meaning into his question. A soft twitch rippled through her core, making her gasp as his hands began to wander.

Evfra was hard and throbbing against her backside, and Sara found her body responding to him almost immediately as she began to warm through from her very depths. His hand on her belly had traveled up to her breasts, a warm trail of lingering energy tingling her skin in its wake, sending hot spikes of need down through her gut as she sighed.

“It does...” was all Sara managed as he palmed at her breast, thumb gliding over her nipple under the pretense of soaping her up, but she knew that was an excuse to explore her. Truthfully, she’d found the exact same excuse rather convenient earlier, although she’d been careful to tease him, which had clearly had the desired effect.

Using her breast as an anchor, Evfra pulled her further into him, groaning as his face dipped into her throat. His cock twitched against her lower back, trapped between them, and she felt him grind his hips ever-so-gently against her skin. His other hand slid down ever further to splay across her thigh, and Sara found herself instinctively lifting her leg to give him further access to the ache between. Her breath was already hitching in her throat, needy gasps escaping her as Evfra relinquished a gentle pulse against her thigh and up through her cunt, pulling another needy whine from her as she clenched.

A thought suddenly came to Sara again, as Evfra nipped and sucked a trail down her neck to her shoulder, chasing the streams of water against her skin. Her insane curiosity got the best of her.

“You really like my throat…” She managed in soft wonderment, letting her head fall back against his chest as her own hands latched onto his forearms for support. He growled, soft and demanding against her shoulder, nudging her folds open with his index finger, pulling from her a startled gasp as he slowly pumped just at her opening. Sara was still mildly sensitive from their earlier encounter, welcoming him in almost greedily with a flutter of pleasure at the contact.

“Yes…” he ground out, brushing his thumb again against her hardened nipple with a soft spark of energy, and warmth surged through Sara’s body as he gently ground his hips into her back in time with the motions of his hand between her thighs. She angled her hips into his questing finger, letting out a surprised _oh_ as his thumb pressed against her clit. “It is so vulnerable, and _mine._ ” His finger slid all the way home then, Sara’s broken sob of delight mingling with Evfra’s satisfied groan as he mouthed the joining at her throat and collar. With teeth and tongue he left a bruising trail of kisses along her shoulder, stopping just at the slope of her upper arm before making his way back to her face.

Sara let go of his arm to weave her hand around her back to palm at his cock, his possessive declaration spurring her need to claim something of her own as her core throbbed with warmth in time with each press of his finger. She wasn’t submissive, but she _liked_ Evfra dominating her in this way. It made her feel desired and wanted in all the right ways, and gods she wanted more of it.

She wanted him to bend her over and _fuck her_ senseless, until she couldn’t form coherent words or thoughts anymore, and she was only lost in the insatiable drive of his cock into her aching cunt. She _needed_ this like she needed air. So many people vying for her attention, needing her and demanding of her time and her efforts and success. She needed to lose control and be dominated, let someone else be in control, if only for a little while... 

Evfra snarled then, his mouth clamping down on her shoulder as Sara’s hand found his cock again, relishing the feel of his silken skin against her fingers as she let them glide up his length. His response was to emit a soft electrical pulse that rippled against her walls, curling his finger with each upward stroke, and Sara could have cried with how deliciously perfect it felt against every nerve ending. Her muscles clenched at the soft vibration, and Evfra hissed into her skin at the feel of her tightening around him. He knew, what else she could squeeze and tighten around as she crested that highest of peaks. Sara was _so close_ already, a few more neatly timed strokes and she would be there...

The sensation of Evfra’s finger leaving her was that of aching emptiness, yet Sara barely had time to muster up any frustrated response as he began pushing her forward against the wall of the shower. The hand that had been between her thighs had gone to her waist, the hand on her breast pressing forward against her back as he licked at the shell of her ear.

“Bend for me.” The request was rough and desperate, Evfra’s voice pitched so low that the resonating rumble traveled straight to the center of her body causing fresh warmth to pool low. Muttering a breathless affirmative, Sara did as he asked, thinking he was about to enter her from behind as she braced her hands against the wall for support. Anticipation made her legs shake, and she was throbbing and so _very ready_ and practically dripping with wetness that wasn’t water.

Sudden emptiness behind her was the first thing she noticed before the sudden absence of Evfra’s presence clued her in to the fact that he’d knelt behind her. Sara almost spun around, startled enough to ask him what he was doing until she felt his grip, tight and unyielding at her thighs. He tugged her towards his face—she could feel his breath ghosting against her sex—the action bending her forward and opening and exposing her further. He grunted his approval, his hands sliding upward to grip either side of her ass to spread open her folds before him.

No one… had _ever_ done this to her before, at least not in this fashion, and Sara’s heart hammered in her chest. Her only coherent thought was _yes, fuck yes_ as the seconds slipped by long enough to make her wonder why he seemed to be simply staring at her. She would have squirmed, protested, _demanded_ that Evfra start moving but the wind was immediately knocked out of her lungs as soon as he descended on her, burying his face in her cunt with a haggard grunt of hunger.

“Oh god…” the choking sob left her mouth of its own accord as Sara’s mouth dropped open in shock. Evfra’s skilled tongue had immediately set to work on every, aching, sensitive inch of her sex, and all Sara could do was hold on and try to stay upright—which was proving to be more difficult than one might have thought as every upward stroke of his tongue sent his whole face with it, lifting her off the floor as he lapped at her.

He alternated between quick, flicking strokes against her clit, to long, flattened drags up the whole length of her slit, dipping his tongue deep into her channel with a swirling flourish that had Sara on the brink of sobbing. She was rocketing higher, faster than she’d ever really remembered experiencing with any lovers before as his tongue curled inside her in rough, pressing strokes against her walls. Evfra was moaning his own approval, muffled as it was against her sex, but the vibration of his vocalizations sent her careening so close to the edge as she tried to find something to hold onto. She knew, the orgasm was going to hit her so fast that it was going to border on painful, and when Evfra closed his whole mouth around her clit and _sucked_ she finally shattered into a million pieces with a desperate cry.

Evfra didn’t stop then. His mouth suckled at her twitching, tender bud as Sara’s orgasm cascaded through every nerve ending and had her seeing stars. Her whimpering, gasping cries were nearly drowned out by his own stuttering growls of need as he rode the waves of pleasure with her, pulling her tighter against him as each ripple of ecstasy shuddered down the length of her body to her feet. Before it became too much, he finally ceased his assault on her clit to plunge his tongue into her one last time, drinking in the last throbs and flutters of her aftershocks with a satisfied groan of his own.

Sara was only just regaining some of her sense after such a mind blowing high, when she felt Evfra move again. The weighted sensation of him standing behind her was nearly smothering as his entire mass covered her, his body wrapped so completely around her she could disappear. She could feel him shaking against her, restraint so ready to snap as he tipped her head back against him with a hand at her forehead. His cock ground against her ass, hot and throbbing and she could tell eager to burst, but he wasn’t ready to lose himself in her just yet.

With her throat exposed to him now he found that familiar place he loved so much and sucked, hard enough that Sara knew it was going to leave a mark but she didn’t care. The hand that had pulled her head back was ghosting against her collar, leaving a hot trail of tingling energy in it’s wake as his other arm pulled her against him. Sara wriggled her hips, seeking the feel of his length against her, and the quick tightening of his arm around her waist told her that she could drive him wild just like that.

“Need you,” Evfra grunted against her ear and as Sara turned to seek his mouth he provided, tongue demanding entrance into her own as she murmured her own consent for him. She could taste herself on him, but she didn’t care, the tingling energy of his kiss making her head swim. It only served to stoke the fire ever higher as the length of his cock slid against her folds urgently. He whimpered then, and it was the most pleading, desperate thing she’d ever heard from the angara thus far.

The hand that had been against her chest weaved around to line himself up at Sara’s entrance, and when the tip of him brushed against her slickened folds Sara felt the embers of pleasure flare to new life again. She moaned into his mouth, still urgently moving over her own, and when he plunged into her it was so smooth and silken that Sara could have wept. The desperate groan that escaped Evfra then nearly had him buckling forward against her, his legs trembling as he pressed her forward against the wall for a second time. She found herself then just slightly caged between his thighs that canted forward, his hands pressed against her own against the wall, with only the support of him buried in to the hilt to move against.

Sara knew that this was not going to last long. She could tell from Evfra’s labored, panting breaths, and the disjointed, stuttering _buzz_ of his current that he was already very close. His cock twitched against her already, and her walls clung back as if of their own mind and beckoning him to start moving. He did then, the first pull of his hips slow and deliberate as he sighed against her shoulder.

When Evfra’s hips snapped forward again with a broken cry, Sara gasped, feeling that delicious ridge on the underside of his cock hit places they had never hit before. The hardened angle of it nudged against her g-spot in such a pressured way that she nearly tumbled over the edge again immediately, biting back a scream as Evfra pumped his hips once more. She was so madly sensitive she knew she was going to break even before he did, and as if knowing this too Evfra began to move against her in earnest, each thrust deep and measured as his own gasps matched the pace he had set. Sara met each drag of his hips with her own, grinding against him, seeking that sweet line of his cock that had her on fire in no time.

The warm, uncurling of pleasure licked at every one of Sara’s nerve endings, and she could feel her muscles tensing as the fire burned, and burned as deep and all encompassing as each pound of Evfra’s cock inside her. His breaking rhythm and the stuttering, jagged pulses of his field were the tells she recognized to know that he was about to shatter too, his lifting cries more urgent and wrecked than their previous encounters. It was his song and the rhythm she chased that pushed her over the edge once more, and she came around him so intensely that she was nearly forced to her knees with a rough cry.

Evfra pulled her in, burying himself deep inside her one last time as she clenched around him, and he came with a shout as her walls squeezed to milk his release. The throb and press of his ridge against her madly sensitive sweet spot as he spilled inside her had Sara nearly starved for air, just bordering on the edge between over-stimulation and a pleasure she could get lost in forever. Her whole body convulsed from the combination of her own orgasm and Evfra’s crashing energy field as he burst and broke apart with a sob. She was out of the atmosphere, only dimly aware of his mouth at her ear and the breathless, hurried words that escaped him in the final waves—

“I _love_ you…”

—that shuddered through both of them as the final licks of their shared climax eased away, leaving them boneless and spent. Sara thought she might fall, unsure if she had the strength to stand, but Evfra, trembling as he was, eased her up to lean against him. He’d slipped out of her at the motion, and warmth coated her inner thighs as his seed trickled from her. That was the least of Sara’s worries, as she focused on centering herself, letting the slowing of Evfra’s pulse and breath at her back channel her own vitals back to something approaching normal.

They remained like that for minutes more, Evfra’s words in the final moments of their coupling lingering on Sara’s mind as he simply held her against him. He had softened and resheathed minutes before, but continued to hold her as if she would simply wash away through the drain. She was exhausted and spent, and by the way Evfra’s legs trembled she could tell that he was probably feeling the same.

At some point Evfra had begun to clean her up again, and Sara was only dimly aware of his hands traveling the span of her body as the water began to cool. Wincing, Sara realized that they had initially been in the shower for a reason, and should probably finish up before the water grew too cold. Her crew was probably going to mutiny at this point.

So Sara returned the same gestures, and they scrubbed each other clean. Evfra seemed to take a strange delight in washing her hair, the suds splashing all over Sara’s face as she spluttered a protest before he tilted her head back into the now lukewarm water. He brushed the wet strands away from her eyes with a chuckle, but Sara didn’t have any more energy to even attempt a half-hearted retort of her own. The water was growing cold, and her bed was now a very inviting idea as her eyes began to droop.

Leaving Evfra to finish showering on his own, with a lingering touch of her hand against his, Sara exited and dried herself off. She’d just finished throwing on a set of clean clothes—a loose shirt and sweatpants perfect for sleeping in—when Evfra emerged from the bathroom dried off and without a stitch covering him. Sara blushed a little, smirking at his lack of modesty but not particularly caring. It was still quite hard for her to believe that this was the _same_ Evfra that had glowered murderous daggers into her every time she had argued with him when the first met. Now he was here in her quarters, shamelessly naked after having fucked her into oblivion in her own shower, eyeing her with an intense passion as if daring her to touch him again. It was downright _dangerous_ , and Sara loved it.

But, sadly she was far too tired for any more of that now. They had time before they returned to Aya, and the first thing on Sara’s list was getting a full night’s sleep. She practically fell onto her bed face-first, angled just enough that she could watch Evfra step towards her with a question in his eyes. He probably wondered if he was welcome, or if he should just return to the Tech Lab to sleep like he’d done on previous nights.

Sara reached out to him, leaning back a bit. She didn’t particularly want to be alone tonight. “Come to bed with me,” she offered. Evfra smirked then, his hand lacing through hers as best his fingers would allow as he pushed her aside to make room.

“As tempting as that is, I don’t think I can go another round without proper sleep and some sun,” he muttered, pulling the blankets over them and settling against her. His voice was low and quiet then, but Sara detected a hint of sarcasm in his words to suggest that he was teasing her.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t mean _that_.” Sara groused, halfheartedly as she threw a leg over his own possessively. He curled further into her, sinking into the pillows with a sweet half-smile that Sara now knew was only for her. “I meant stay here with me tonight. To _sleep_.”

Evfra didn’t respond, one arm draping over her waist as he turned his face into the pillows with an almost relieved lilt of his brow. The heavy scars that ran down the left side of his face were in clear view, another reminder of things that Evfra had been through that she could not possibly begin to understand—things he had _lost_.

She remembered now, what he had said during those final moments of bliss, and a frown weaved it’s way across her lips. She had to ask him, and although she knew her own feelings for him, she needed to make sure that he understood what he had said to her, and that he’d meant it.

“I need to ask you something.”

Evfra’s eyes opened then, his pupils narrowing under the dim light as he regarded her with a quiet fondness. Sara sensed, that he knew what she was going to ask him.

“It is about what I said,” he rumbled, voice heavy with sleep but there was no trace of annoyance in his words. “I meant those words.”

 _Oh._ Sara thought, suddenly dumbstruck by the idea, but thrilled that he shared her feelings. Still she worried for him. She didn’t want to be some catalyst for his destruction should she be just one more thing for him to lose. She didn’t want him to break into so many pieces that he couldn’t put himself back together again. He had already closed himself off so thoroughly since the kett took his entire family from him, since his own capture and escape, dedicating himself fully to the Resistance and beating them back. To be the one that wormed their way back through his barriers to start stripping them away, to expose that raw, tender side of him amidst still so much chaos and war, was really quite daunting—it was terrifying really, to have something like that at your feet that you knew could be crushed at any moment. None of them were safe. The entire Tempest could be blown out of the sky on the whims of the Archon the next time the crossed paths, and once again Evfra would be alone. If he allowed himself the luxury of opening up to her and letting her in, what would that do to him again? Would he even survive that fall?

“I understand what that means,” Evfra prompted, perhaps taking her silence for what it was: her mulling over the implications of his love. “While I said to you on Voeld that I don’t know if I can bear that loss again… I also don’t know that I am willing to push my heart away any longer.” He shifted, leaning over her on an elbow to glide a thumb against her cheek. He kissed her then, soft and chaste, and Sara whimpered sweetly as his lips left hers. The soft static that lingered between their parted lips as he hovered there, soft breaths dancing in the space between, could have maybe imparted all the love in the world then. It was enough to nearly bring tears to her eyes.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Sara finally said. “I want to make sure you really _mean_ it, and _know_ that you mean it.”

“Have you ever known me to say things I don’t mean?” Evfra said, and he almost looked offended, though it lacked the bite of true annoyance as his eyes looked into her own. He was right, really. Evfra was many things, but a liar was not one of them. He knew that she had the correct answer to that question, so a response wasn’t particularly needed.

“Well, I love you too.” Sara’s voice was quiet, hesitant to speak the words as they had never come easily for her before. Evfra chuckled then, drawing her back against him as he laid back down.

“There, was that so difficult?” 

Sara laughed, her face against his chest, glad for his blunt honesty in that moment. She was content now, blissfully content and feeling more at peace than she had in a long time as she settled against him. Evfra had gone quiet, his breathing deepened and she knew then that he had fallen asleep. 

Before Sara drifted off, Evfra’s arm wrapped snugly around her waist with his warmth to envelop her, she thought, that maybe this was enough to get her through this. If Evfra was by her side—perhaps not always physically in the weeks to come, but still _there_ —this fight for survival could yet be won. It hadn’t necessarily been any worse off than it was now, but with his added strength at her back, with her team, and with the might if the Initiative and the Resistance behind her, they could still make this a home.

For her and Evfra. For everyone. 

End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone!


End file.
